Daddy's Girls
by Darster
Summary: A night on the town and a not so harmless prank turn deadly for the daughters of three MASK agents. COMPLETED
1. Chapter 1

Daddy's Girls  


This is the sequel to "War Fields", and also a three-way fanfiction between myself, Lisa L., and our current cowriter, Freespirit127. This is what happens when you have three writers with three fanfic characters who happen to be three daughters of three MASK agents. We thought it would make for some major Mayhem, pun intended, to put them together in a story, since one of them is friends with both of the other two who can't stand each other. :) This is also the beginnings of an extensive MASK Saga that Lisa and I are writing, with input from Freespirit127, so look for more stories hopefully soon.

  
Standard Disclaimers: We don't own any of the MASK characters, except for Annie Turner (Darster), Roxanne Trakker (Lisa), and Jessenia Hayes (Freespirit127), nor do we own any of the High Mountain Rangers. For anyone familiar enough with the HMR continuity, the series Jesse Hawkes has not, and will not take place in this storyline continuity.

  
With that said, on with the story! Rating is PG-13 for language and violence and somewhat dark themes. Please read and review, but be warned that flames will be shot down with Gator's Ice Cannon and the appropriate person hunted down and shot by the Ranger Team. :)

  
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Half the year had gone by since the incident in Venice. Everything that had happened would have changed anyone, but to Roxanne it was a forgotten unwanted memory. As long as she'd never have to face Annie Turner again, it will forever stay that way.   
  
Roxanne slammed her school locker shut, "Finally, about time the final bell rang."  
  
Scott approached her swinging a set of keys in his hand, "You want a ride home?"  
  
"Eh…just because you got your driver license doesn't mean I'm willing to send myself to an early grave."  
  
"Hey dad said…I just need to practice some more," He smiled encouragingly.  
  
"Yeah…tell that to the garage door. Poor thing probably screaming after you backed into it or was that T-bob." She remarked sarcastically. "Besides Scott, I have something I have to work on after school."  
  
Scott laugh, "Your joking right…you staying after school?"  
  
"What's wrong with that?" she raised a suspicious eyebrow.  
  
"Umm…nothing," He knew better then to unleash the fury of her temper.  
  
"Just tell dad I'll be home by dinner time 'k?" She took off down the hall still leaving her brother in a daze.   
  
School was never her thing; Scott more or less inherited her father's brain producing straight A's. Roxanne preferred anything below a C, in other words 'Don't Care Effort is Futile' was her motto. Yet there was one class that always caught her interest, mechanics. The teacher had seen her as a promising student before his eyes and offered her a chance to enter in the Junior Auto-Motive Challenge. She had spent the first portion of the school year gathering parts and reconstructing a 1960s hot rod. The competition was four months away that meant she have to devote more of her time to completing her project, but there was a huge downside to this extra curricular activity sharing the shop with the Auto Club. It consisted of 6 overly sexist guys who would constantly refer to her as a tomboy and criticize her for even taking an interest in mechanics. Roxanne ignored their poor attempt to defend their egos, but knew that the Auto Club's entry into the contest would just fuel their level of tormenting.  
  
Roxanne entered the auto shop and lifted the hood of her hot rod. The hardest part was reconstructing the engine, yet in doing so she had made a mistake. Oddly enough the engine ran, but only for a short period of time. "If I can just figure out what's causing it. I'm sure Buddy would tell me how to fix it." While she began to investigate the engine, the 6 boys from the Auto Club entered. Roxanne snickered under the hood eyeing them surrounding their deadbeat convertible, "They're not even a threat…they can't even get the car started."  
  
One of the boys shouted, "Hey Roxy shouldn't you be at home baking a cake or something?" The boys laugh at the remark and hoped to see her crying in tears.  
  
As much as she wanted to, she could never ignore the insults, "Hey Mark shouldn't you be out buying the latest copy of How to Start a Car for Dummies!"  
  
"Hey you guys you've just insulted the lady! Mark you should learn to keep your mouth shut." Seth the club president insisted, as he walked up to Roxanne leaning up against her car, "I'm sorry sometimes the guy's very slow in the head."  
  
Roxanne eyed him curiously, "Uhuh…What do you want?"  
  
"Just to be friends," He smiled friendly, yet behind that smile Roxanne saw something more devious, "To settle old differences and form a partnership. I know we can help each other out."  
  
She looked at him disgust, "Yeah well I don't exactly need your help. Do you mind your invading my personal space."  
  
Roxanne put her head back under the hood ignoring the bickering. Seth reached out, grabbed her wrist, and pulled her out to face him, "Apparently you didn't understand when I said we're going to have a wonderful partnership Roxy."  
  
She stared menacingly at Seth's smile, "Get your hand off me NOW!"  
  
"Or you'll what?" He laughed in a mocking tone as he pulled her closer as if she was a prize possession.  
  
Roxanne only reply was a head bunt to Seth's face. While he was knocked back by the unexpectedly blow and blood dripped down his nose, she hurled him under the hood of the car and slammed it with no mercy over him. The other boys shouted several replies of 'let's get her' and 'that bitch will pay.' Two boys charged her at the same time. Roxanne then did a quick leg sweep on the floor sending both boys flat on their backs. She grabbed both their heads and knocked them together, causing them both to knock out.  
  
Mark came up behind her and threw a hard punch into her face. Her head jerked and she winced at the pain. This gave him the opportunity to hold her in a lock, "I got the psycho bitch."  
  
"You really think so?" She slammed her foot on his big toe. He howled in pain. This gave Roxanne the perfect chance to turn the tides. She reversed his grip then threw him over her shoulder, as if he were nothing but a heavy sack, sending him straight thru the windshield of the convertible. "Dang you're a lot lighter then I thought," She spoke surprise at the force she had thrown him. She looked up at the other two observing the 4 unconscious Auto Club members, "You want a piece of me too?" The boys just shook their heads and ran off. Roxanne put her hand over her right eye, "Ouch…that hurt. I got to start training again that was pathetic." She walked over to the driver side mirror and glanced at the fresh black eye, "Shit now dad's gonna know I was in a fight."   
  
She jerked her head as she heard the noise of several people rushing down the hallway. A boy shouted, "I swear Principle Krane. She started using some weird kun-fu on my friends. All we did was ask for some help and she flipped out on us." Roxanne chose to exit out the back door, then to face punishment first hand.  
  
Several hours later she appeared at Boulderhill gas station being dropped off by a trucker.   
  
Buddy crossed his arms in disapproval, "Are you nuts hitching rides like that?"  
  
She shrugged, "I can take care of myself. Buddy can I stay at your place?"  
  
"What? What the heck for?" He asked shocked at the request. "Hey who gave you that?" He starred at her purplish swollen right eye.   
  
"A couple guys cornered me and it sort of erupted into a fight," She sat down on bench sighing, "It's no use dad going to kill me."  
  
Buddy grabs an ice pack from the fridge and throws it at her, "Well if you were defending yourself I'm sure you'll understand."  
  
"Oh sure…I knocked 4 guys out…one in which I threw right thru a car windshield," She remarked resting the ice pack on her eye.  
  
"Running away just going to make it worst. I'm sorry Roxy, but I can't help ya even if those jerks probably deserved what they got." He patted a hand on her shoulder, then took off to close up the gas station for the evening.   
  
After an hour of icing her eye, she chose to face her father. Once she arrived home he sat in his favorite armchair, with his face burning red with anger. "You beat up a few boys, who are currently getting medical treatment, and you get EXPELLED!"  
  
Roxanne drooped her head, "I was only defending myself." She looked up and confessed her heart out, " I was out numbered 6 to 1 and they were coming on to me. If I hadn't they were going to make me…"   
  
"Roxanne, I don't care. All I care about is that it happened." Matt sighed deeply.  
  
She pleaded believe she could talk some sense into him, "I swear dad it won't happen again!"  
  
"How can you prove that to me? Roxanne you knew that 6 to 1 odds was in your favor the moment the fight started." He replied as he watch her eyes drift the opposite direction denying the truth. "I've come to the conclusion that public school is not the right place for you."  
  
"You're sending me to a boarding school??" Roxanne jumped from her chair.   
  
"No. That way, I wouldn't have any control. No, I'm sending to a private school here in town. St. Catherine's, to be exact."  
  
"WHAT??? You're sending me to the nun bunker???"  
  
"St. Catherine's is a very renowned, good school. Dusty wouldn't send his daughter there if it wasn't."  
  
"Yes, but look at Jess, Dad. That girl's a nut!"  
  
"Jess is a very nice girl, Roxanne. Okay, she's a bit… unusual, but still … "  
  
He looked at his daughter closely. "St. Catherine's is your last chance, Roxanne. There, you won't have to worry about being harassed by any guys."  
  
"Only by bitches."   
  
Matt sighed again. "You're going there. Starting next week. You also need to be fitted for your school uniform."  
  
"Uniform? Are you serious? That means I can't wear black anymore and I…I have to wear a dress! This is no fair I really am in HELL!" The primal scream escaping from Roxanne could be heard in a two-mile distance.  



	2. Chapter 2

  
Author's Note: Welcome back to our reviewer, Harry2! Thanks for sticking with us. :) Once we get the introductory chapters over with, we promise a lot more excitement than the start of a new school year. Keep reading!

  
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And somewhere just outside the Lake Tahoe region of the Sierra Nevada mountains, another scream could be heard as someone kicked Annie Turner's feet right out from underneath her. She hit the ground hard, rolling over quickly only to find that she couldn't see whoever had attacked her. _Why did I ever agree to this? Now look what I got myself into._ Just because she couldn't see didn't mean she couldn't react. As soon as she felt whoever it was practically on top of her, she instinctively lashed out with a foot, hoping to catch them in the stomach.  
  
A sharp intake of breath and a hiss of pain told Annie she'd aimed her kick considerably lower than her attacker's stomach.  
  
"Dear God in Heaven," Ranger Jim Cutler prayed to any deity that happened to be listening. "That HURT!"  
  
Still lying on the ground, Annie whipped off the blindfold she'd been wearing to find Cutler on his knees and doubled over, questioning his future ability to father children.  
  
"Cutler, I---"  
  
"Don't apologize, Annie," interrupted Ranger Tim Hart as he pulled her to her feet. The dark skinned man shot a sympathetic, yet satisfied grin at his friend on the ground. "You wouldn't be apologizing to the scum sucking lowlife who was trying to do worse things to you, would ya?"  
  
"Besides, he asked for it when he asked you to fight blindfolded," pointed out Ranger Izzy Flowers graciously.  
  
"I didn't anticipate THAT," Cutler defended himself as he managed to finally stand up.  
  
"So you admit to underestimating your opponent?" Ranger Frank Avila asked as he shook his head in dismay. "You should know better, Cutler."  
  
"I guess I should," he admitted with a sheepish grin. He walked over to Annie and ruffled her red hair playfully. "Good job, kid. I better go have Robin check me out to make sure I can still have kids one day."  
  
"Be careful how you phrase that request," Annie joshed Cutler back. "She might hurt you worse than I did."  
  
Cutler grinned and walked away just as Ranger Commander Matt Hawkes walked up to the group.  
  
"Annie, your father's going to be here shortly. You might want to go pack your gear instead of beating up on my Rangers," Matt chided her gently, unable to hide the grin on his face.  
  
Annie nodded her acknowledgement and smiled wickedly. "Well, looks like playtime's over guys. I'll have to come back and play another time. Make sure you bring more friends."  
  
As she headed back toward the Ranger Station, Avila fell into step beside her. "You looked particularly vicious out there today."  
  
"I felt particularly vicious," Annie admitted quietly.  
  
"Why?" It wasn't an accusation, just a simple question of curiosity.  
  
Annie paused for a moment to gather her thoughts. "Aside from the element of surprise, the lack of sight made me feel more vulnerable I guess, which in turn made me want to react and fight harder." There was another short pause before she added, "It reminded me of Italy, too."  
  
Avila smiled knowingly. He knew the whole sordid story, which is how Annie talked them into teaching her self-defense in the first place. "On your next visit, we'd like to start training you in different scenarios like that one. You never know what conditions you'll find yourself defending in. And as Cutler might say, 'We'll teach Little Red Riding Hood to overcome the Big Bad Wolf yet!'."  
  
Annie glanced over at Avila, an odd look settling in her eyes. "I just don't want to BECOME the Big Bad Wolf, Avila."  
  
"Don't worry, Annie," Avila replied with a smile, settling a friendly arm around her shoulders. "We won't let that happen."  
  
  
  
Meanwhile, on a highway at the Californian/Nevada border.  
  
"Thanks again for taking me, Dusty," Brad said.   
  
"No sweat, man," Dusty said. "If I hadn't done it, someone would have had my hide," he drawled, pointing to a slender figure stretched out on the backseat.  
  
"Heard that, Dusty!"   
  
"Daddy! It's Daddy, Jess."  
  
"Sorry, Dusty."  
  
Brad laughed. "Kid takes after her mom."  
  
"Yeah… that's what I'm scared of."  
  
"If you don't like Sunny the way she is, why did you marry her then?" the voice from the backseat demanded.  
  
"That point goes to you, honey."   
  
"There we are," Brad said, pointing to the High Mountain Ranger station.  
  
Inside…  
  
"They are here!"   
  
Annie jumped up and down with joy at seeing Dusty's car pulling up in the driveway.   
  
"Calm down, Annie," Matt Hawkes said grinning at Robin Kelly.   
  
"Come on, Matt… she doesn't see her dad that often."  
  
Annie never heard Tim Hart's comment since she was the door before he'd even opened his mouth.  
  
"Dad! Dusty!" yelled Annie and threw herself at both men, hugging them tight. "I'm so happy to see you guys."  
  
"Well… I think you'll be even happier when you see our little surprise for ya," Brad said, winking. "It's on the backseat."  
  
Curiously, Annie went over to the car while her father and Dusty walked over to the rangers. Putting her hands against the window, Annie tried to see something, but a blanket covered her surprise. She opened the door and pulled the blanket away.  
  
"BOOOO!"   
  
"AAAAAIIEE!" Annie screamed as Jess' laughing head appeared from under the blanket, followed by the flashlight of a Polaroid camera.  
  
"You should see your face, Annie," Jess laughed and pulled herself off the seat. "It's totally priceless. Here, see?" She held the Polaroid out to Annie.  
  
"Give me that, before someone here finds it and uses it as evidence against me!" Annie ripped the Polaroid shot out of Jess' hand and scolded her. "Are you trying to give me a heart attack?"  
  
"Nah… if I wanted to get rid of ya I'd poison you."   
  
Shaking her head, Annie hugged her childhood friend tightly. "One of these days, you're going to do that at exactly the wrong time..."  
  
"I knew you missed me!" Jess exclaimed happily, ignoring Annie's comment.  
  
"Sure… dream on," Annie said, nudging her friend. "Come on, I'll introduce to the others."  
  
With her arm around Jess shoulders -who was slightly taller than Annie- she led her to the Rangers.  



	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: Chapter Three is here! Now that we've introduced the girls, things are going to get a lot more interesting. Keep reading and reviewing! 

  
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"Hey guys, this is Jessenia Hayes, Dusty's daughter."  
  
"Hi," Jess said with a soft wave and a shy smile that 'caused Annie to almost roll her eyes…. since Jess was less than shy.  
  
"Jess, meet Commander Matt Hawkes and his brother Cody, Robin Kelly, Frank Avila, Izzy Flowers, Tim Hart and Jim Cutler."  
  
Shaking every ranger's hand, Jess continued to act shy.   
  
"Jessenia… interesting name," Robin said.   
  
"It's Arabic," Dusty answered, "and means flower."  
  
"It's a beautiful name for a pretty girl," Cutler said, not noticing the murderous look on Dusty's face and the disbelieving look Annie gave her friends as Jess even blushed. She was putting on a perfect show.  
  
"Come on, Dusty," Brad said, trying to save Cutler from being hacked into pieces by Dusty, "we'll go and grab Annie's stuff."  
  
"And I'm gonna show Jess around a bit… we have to talk about some… girl stuff."  
  
With that, Annie grabbed Jess' arm and pulled her away.  
  
"You should get an Oscar for your performance… I never knew you could blush on command."  
  
"You'd be surprised at what I can do, Annie. Very surprised."  
  
"What are you doing here anyway? Shouldn't you be in school?"  
  
"Well…no. Teacher's conference."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yes… at least as far as my dad's concerned!" Jess waggled her eyebrow and grinned.  
  
Annie shook her head. "One day you'll get busted…"  
  
"Wouldn't be so sure about that."  
  
"Annie!" Cutler yelled, running up to the girls. "We packed your stuff into the car. Your dad's ready to go."  
  
"Okay… we'll be right there."  
  
With a smile and a nod, Cutler turned and walked back the direction he'd come from.  
  
"Whew… wouldn't mind being his pants…" Jess said, watching the ranger's retreating form, while Annie just stared at her.   
  
"I can't believe some of the stuff that comes out of your mouth. You HAVE to be adopted," Annie said with a grin as she headed out to the main room, Jess in tow. "Besides, everyone here knows Cutler doesn't have eyes for anyone but Robin, even if neither one admits it."  
  
"A girl can dream, can't she?" Jess asked whimsically.  
  
"Keep dreaming Jess, keep dreaming," Annie replied.  
  
Cody caught the two girls as they walked out to meet their fathers. "Here's your homework, Annie," he said with an evil grin as he handed her a few sheets of paper.  
  
"Oh, gee, thanks, Cody. You shouldn't have, really." Annie's voice dripped with sarcasm.  
  
"Hey, if I have to suffer through it, so do you," he replied good naturedly.  
  
"Homework? Here? Really?" Jess seemed stunned by the concept.  
  
Cody and Annie exchanged the 'she's-obviously-not-from-around-here' look. "Don't they have homework where she comes from?" Cody asked Annie right over Jess' head.  
  
"In Jess' world, home schooling happens to other people," Annie continued to talk about Jess in the third person as though she wasn't standing there.  
  
"You guys home school?!?" Jess asked in awe, like this was a major world shattering event.  
  
Annie patted Jess' shoulder gently, then said as an aside to Cody. "You'll have to excuse my friend, she doesn't get out of the city much." To Jess she said, "Of course we home schooled, you nut! What, did you think we just ran around and played in the mountains all day?"  
  
The look on Jess' face told Annie that was exactly what she thought. Jess just shook her head and walked back to where Dusty and Brad stood with the other rangers. "Wonder if I could convince Dusty to be home schooled too!"  
  
"She's cute...I like her," Cody said to Annie when Jess' was out of earshot. "You should invite her up here more often."  
  
Annie grinned wildly at him. "Is that so I can see her, or so you can?"  
  
"Both," Cody smiled back. "You could invite your friend, Scott, too."  
  
"Gee, look at the time," Annie mimicked looking at her watch as she tried to hide the blush rising in her cheeks. "I better get going. Try to make sure Izzy doesn't delete my homework this time...I don't think your dad appreciated that excuse."  
  
"I'll try. Bye Annie," Cody said as he gave her a big hug.  
  
She waved, then walked over and hugged each of the Rangers in turn. She stopped at Izzy, who was working at the desk. "Just a reminder Izzy, the CD Rom drive is NOT a cup holder, and you do not play miniature frisbee with CD's. And DON'T delete my homework unless you want to explain to Jesse what happened."  
  
"All right, all right!" said the tall blond resignedly with a half grin. "Get out of here already!"  
  
Matt and Brad exchanged a handshake as the group prepared to leave.  
  
"Once again, you have my thanks," Brad told the Ranger Commander. "It's good to know my daughter's always in good hands."  
  
"Don't mention it Brad," Matt smiled as he ruffled Annie's hair. "She's a great kid, and she's always welcome."  
  
"Her friends are always welcome too," Cutler said with a wink at Jess.  
  
"We better get goin' if we wanna make it home by dark," Dusty growled shooting Cutler another dark look as he put his arm around Jess and pulled her outside.  
  
"Bye guys!"   
  
Annie gave the whole group one last wave before she and Brad walked outside. She put her arm around his waist and leaned into his shoulder as they headed for the car. "I missed you, Dad. It's good to see you."  
  
Brad chuckled as he put his arm around her shoulders. "I missed you too, honey. Ready to go home?" he asked as they climbed in the car with Dusty and Jess.  
  
"You betcha!"  



	4. Chapter 4

Roxanne slowly walked down the halls of her new school in a plaid skirt, white blouse, and white tennis shoes. She felt absolutely miserable and her father's voice kept repeated over and over in her mind 'Have a nice day!' _If anybody I knew saw me like this, I'd be a laughing stock._ Roxanne stood outside her first class Foods and was hesitating to enter, "Why can't I just drop out?" She entered the class and quickly handed her transfer papers to the nun at the front desk.  
  
The nun smiled at her, then turned her attention to the class, "Well class we have a new addition, Roxanne Trakker. Please make her feel welcome."  
  
Roxanne stood there nervous she couldn't even manage a weak smile. All eyes were upon her when she'd rather not be noticed at all. _Can this be anymore embarrassing!_  
  
Then the nun led her into one of the small kitchens, "I'll assign you to group number 5. They will fill you in on our latest creations. Now class we need to finish making our 5 course meals for the school board. Remember they will determine your final grades."  
  
Roxanne reluctantly walked over to her group. A tall blond girl name Meagan approached her first; it was apparently she was the leader just by the snobby tone of her voice, "Well newcomer we've kind of gotten everything in order. We just need somebody to make some stuffing to go with our prize-winning pork." She then forces a canister of Stove Top Stuffing in her hand.  
  
"Umm...I've never cooked before," Roxanne looked at the canister uncertain what to do with it.  
  
Meagan and her group members just look at her with horror struck faces, "Well all you have to do is read the directions. Their pretty straight forward." Before Roxanne could complain any further, Meagan and the rest of the group sat around the table gossiping as they finish their entrees with garnishes.  
  
Ten minutes passed by before Meagan came back to check up on her. "Where's the stuffing? It should be done by now."  
  
Roxanne stood by the stove taping her fingers on the counter, "Oh I'm still waiting for it to be done. The direction said to cover it…but I'm not sure if I'm supposed to take it off the stove or not. The directions are not very explanatory"  
  
Meagan turned off the stove hastily and took off the lid, "YOU BURNED IT!"  
  
"What?!" Roxanne took a fork and took a bit of it, "It's not burnt just some added flavor."  
  
Meagan and her friends were furious, "You dolt can't you read, it says to remove from stove! Gosh this is like unheard of, nobody burns Stove Top Stuffing. Now it's going to be all your fault if we get a bad grade!"  
  
"Well there's nothing wrong with burnt stuffing. I've eaten a lot of burnt food before there's nothing wrong with it," she argued.  
  
"So basically you like to eat out of people garbage cans," Meagan snickered with her friends giggling behind her.  
  
Roxanne balled her first, but before she could make a comeback the bell rang and the girls walked out acting like she didn't exist.   
  
The rest of her day didn't go as well either. Apparently the whole school knew what she did in a matter of minutes. During History, English, and Math class she kept hearing snickering remarks behind her back. It was finally lunchtime and the horrible day was almost over. She hoped that maybe her father might reconsider forcing her to come here, after telling him her bad experiences. She held her lunch tray looking out among the numerous tables cluttered with gossiping girls. There was nobody she knew, except Jessenia Hayes. _I wouldn't be caught dead sitting with her._ _She's crazy, plus Dusty would kill me if he found out. Hmm…maybe I should just tell Dusty where my dad enrolled me, maybe that would get me out of here. _An evil grin appeared on her face with this realization. Roxanne picked an abandon table and chose to sit by herself, but to her displeasure this wasn't going to allow her to eat in peace.  
  
Meagan spoke in a loud tone so the whole cafeteria could hear here, "I swear who knew Trakker took in orphans off the street. The poor thing doesn't even know how to take care of herself eating out of garbage cans and has the intelligence of a monkey."  
  
Roxanne picked up her fork and stabbed it into her chicken feeling like her veins were being lighted on fire. _I can't get in a fight. I promise dad I'd never do it again._ She ignored the comments and continued to eat.  
  
Another girl mention, "Did you catch that strange odor off her? I'm not sure if its fish or cabbage."  
  
"I saw her doodling in her note book. Drawing pentagrams, weapons, and blood on stick figures. She's like very disturbed probably an occult member," A girl followed holding the cross around her neck.  
  
Meagan added, "She has these weird marks on her body. I saw them in gym class…probably tried to kill herself. Who can blame her?"  
  
"That's it!" She shouted holding her fork firmly in her hand as she headed over to Meagan table. _Oh I'm not going to lecture you just murder you with my fork!_  
  
Jess stood up as she notice Roxanne was out to get blood. She stood in front of Roxanne stopping her from going any further, "Don't let them bother you."  
  
"Don't let them bother me! Their making fun of me! I ain't gonna stand for it!"  
  
Meagan laugh, "Oooo poor Roxy just wants our pity…would you like our lunches it's obvious you don't eat enough."  
  
Jess turned around to face Meagan with an evil grin on her face, "You know you better be nice to my friend here."  
  
"Why should I?" Meagan snapped back.  
  
"Because you don't want to a) my elbow accidentally slipping onto your brandnew nose during basketball training, b) sitting in my immediate proximity during Chemistry or c) Father McNeill to know that you sweet new perfume is actually the stench of a cigarette made from a certain illegal plant."  
  
"You wouldn't dare, Hayes!"  
  
"Try me, Mallory!"  
  
Jess stared Meagan straight into the eyes, without even blinking. Knowing Jess didn't make empty threats, Meagan swallowed.  
  
"Come on girls," Meagan said. "The loser virus is contagious."  
  
"Then better hurry before Roxanne and I get infected."  
  
Roxanne raised an eyebrow. She didn't know Jess very well - thanks to Dusty- but apparently, she wasn't that much of a nutcase. Even it was hard to do, Roxy was kinda impressed by Jess' threats and Meagan's reaction to it. But as usual, she didn't show it.  
  
"Don' worry about her," Jess said. "Now that she knows that I'm on your side, she'll leave you alone."  
  
"Really?" Sarcasm was dripping from Roxy's voice.  
  
"Yep," Jess said putting her tray down and sitting across from Roxanne. "She's a brainless bitch, but not stupid enough to break a quiet school law: Don't mess with Jess. Trust me, Meagan's just big words. That's why we call her Brag-an."  
  
Roxanne snorted and mustered Jess. "Don't mess with Jess?"  
  
"Well… let me put it this way. I have a knack for practical jokes."  
  
"Isn't it bad for your reputation to be seen with me?"  
  
"I don't care what other people think. I do what I want, with whom I want and when I want. Us outsiders should stick together."  
  
"What if your dad finds out about that?"  
  
"Who says he will?" Waggling her eyebrows, Jess took another spoon of her dessert. 


	5. Chapter 5

Slowly but surely, Annie was losing her patience and her concentration. She looked at her watch, which read 3:15 PM and let out a deep sigh as she laid her head down on the open book in front of her. She'd been in the public library ALL DAY working on yet another Jesse Hawkes 'for home' home school project--this one called "Around the States in 50 Weeks". Since he never knew how long she'd be home at a time, he'd give her these extended projects "to keep your mind sharp" he said. At this point, she was only in the "A" states, probably knew more about Alaska than the Eskimos, and had an hour and forty-five minutes before Brad was due to come back and pick her up.  
  
"I can't take much more of this," Annie muttered forlornly into her pile of homework. "I need a distraction."  
  
She picked her head up off the desk and watched in disbelief as her distraction entered the library in the form of Scott Trakker, who had obviously just left school himself judging by the backpack slung over one shoulder. Magnetically, his gaze drifted easily right to her table, and she flashed him a warm, relieved smile as their eyes locked. He returned a shy and still somewhat boyish smile as his long strides ate away the distance from the entryway to where she was sitting.   
  
"Hey Annie!" he greeted her warmly as he sat down across from her. "I didn't expect to see you here! I didn't even know you were home!"  
  
Annie shrugged casually. "I've been home for a few days now. I figured I might as well hit the books early. I didn't expect to see you here either, but," she added with the charming smile she inherited, "you are the answer to my prayers."  
  
Scott rubbed the back of his neck nervously, trying not to blush crimson. Instead, he grinned back shyly and asked, "I am?"  
  
"Yep. I was just sitting here praying for a distraction and here you are."  
  
If Annie piled on anymore charm, Scott knew he'd soon be a melted puddle of goo at her feet. So he played along and turned on his own charms, hoping he might get her to blush the same color as her hair. "That's funny, because I came in here looking for a distraction too."  
  
"Really?" Somehow Annie managed to only flush slightly pink in her cheeks.  
  
"Yeah. I didn't really want to go home yet, because I'm trying to avoid Roxy. She's been pretty unbearable lately."  
  
"More so than normal?" Annie immediately flashed Scott an apologetic glance. "Uh, sorry, that kind of slipped. I shouldn't have said that...you know, non-interference and all."  
  
"That's okay, I opened it up for you," Scott smirked. "But yeah, more than normal. She started at a new school, and let's just say it's not going her way."  
  
"Don't ask, don't tell," Annie said, holding her hand up in the classic stop gesture. "I'm sure I really don't want to know."  
  
Scott nodded. "You're probably better off, believe me." He paused momentarily, then asked, "So...do you...have a ride home?" He jingled his car keys expectantly.  
  
"Well...Dad's supposed to come back at 5 to get me." Annie cocked her head at him, transfixing him with a questioning look. "Why?"  
  
"Well, I just got a better idea of where to hang out than here, and I'm sure that Roxy wouldn't be caught dead there," Scott said with a wicked grin.  
  
Annie's eyes twinkled mischievously. "Do tell."  
  
"Yes, please, do tell," piped in Brad Turner's voice from beside the table where he magically appeared. "Where exactly do you plan on taking my daughter while she's supposed to be studying?"  
  
Annie glanced up at her father, over at Scott, down at her watch, then back up at Brad. "Hey, you're early!" she accused.  
  
"And you aren't finished studying," Brad replied, wearing a sly grin. "Apparently the atmosphere got a little too distracting."  
  
The last comment was directed towards Scott, who suddenly found his shoelaces extremely interesting. "Ummm...." was all he managed to mumble as he resisted the urge to crawl under the table.  
  
Annie turned an unhealthy shade of red as she hissed. "Dad! Stop it!"  
  
Brad couldn't help laughing at the looks on their faces. "Relax, you're both off the hook." He glanced back over at Annie and added "I'm early because I figured you probably had enough studying by now, but I see I didn't need to worry. So, where were you two headed when I so rudely interrupted?"  
  
"Umm...I thought maybe...uh...Dusty's...if that's okay..." Scott recovered enough to speak.  
  
"Perfect. You just volunteered to bring home dinner." Brad pulled out his wallet and plunked some money on the table. "Remember, delivery in 30 minutes or it's free."  
  
"He's joking, isn't he?" Scott panicked as he watched Brad's retreating back. "Please tell me he's joking."  
  
Annie shook her head as she gathered her things. "I swear, he really ENJOYS embarrassing me sometimes." Noticing the stricken look on Scott's face, Annie added with a grin. "Yes, he's joking, but we can still hurry. I'm dying for one of Dusty's famous triple chocolate shakes."  
  
"Somehow I knew you'd say that," Scott grinned back.  
  
As they left the library side by side, Scott not so casually slipped his hand into Annie's, and she not so casually didn't protest.  



	6. Chapter 6

Daddy's Girls: Chapter 6

Author's note: Again, thank you Harry2 for the kind reviews! If it makes you feel any better, we couldn't wait to get to the good stuff either, and we are writing the story! :) I really wasn't going to post an update this soon because the story is still in process, but I felt bad...so here you go. A small glimmer into the true plot, with a cliffhanger ending because I know you like them so much. :) Please continue to read and review!

  
***

  
Roxanne sat on the bleachers in the gym wondering what she was still doing at school. After Jess had threatened Meagan, the rest of the students began treated her with a bit more respect._ Funny that Jess is somebody they all fear, then again looks can be deceiving._ She watched, as Jess was being ruthless, during basketball practice.  
  
The coach blew her whistle as Jess knocked Meagan to the ground, "Jessenia your not supposed to knock your own teammate on ground."  
  
Jess blushed and offered Meagan a fake friendly hand off the floor, "Sorry about that coach. I didn't see her there." Meagan didn't reply back, but the look on her face clearly showed that Jess knocked her down on purpose.  
  
"Remember girls," the coach shouted as she blew her final whistle," teamwork is the key to winning the championships. Now hit the locker rooms!"   
  
Jess head over to the bleachers and sat next to Roxanne, "I'm surprise you stayed."  
  
Roxanne just shrugged, "Yeah well, I'm not exactly thrilled about going home either. Umm nice aggressive offensive play out there."  
  
"Thought you enjoy it," Jess took a sip from her water bottle, "You ever though about trying out?"  
  
"ME?" she pointed to herself as if it was a ludicrous idea, "Sports are definitely not my thing."  
  
"Then what is your thing?"  
  
"Well computers, mechanics, and basically anything that goes against the written laws of society. I'm sure your father could elaborate on that. That's what he loves to do involving every topic that have a connection with yours truly."  
  
Jess had a wicked smile on her face, "Are you doing anything this weekend?"  
  
"Let me see…oh yeah I'm grounded…next weekend grounded…my schedule says I'm grounded until the day I die. But that doesn't mean I'm not free." She gave her a reassuring smile.  
  
Jess pulled out a flier for Ecstatic a nightclub on the wrong side of town, "I've been dying to go to this place since it opened. I can't find anybody whose daring enough to come with me."  
  
Roxanne took a glance at the flier, "Looks like it could be fun. We'll need fake Ids to get in."  
  
"Already got it covered. I know somebody who works there; he'll let us in. So you in?"  
  
"Tell me when and where. I'll meet ya," Roxanne remarked, then wondered openly "Seriously how do you intend to get by your father with that?"  
  
"Oh I have a pretty good idea how to weasel my way around him. You don't mind if I bring a friend along do you?" Jess asked   
  
Roxanne picked up her bag and swung it over her shoulder, "Naaa any friend of yours is a friend of mine. I better get going, if I show up any later my dad going to think I kill somebody. I'll see ya Friday night right outside the club."  
  
Jess smiled wickedly as Roxanne walked away, "This is great! Now I can wear that new outfit I bought. Now all I have to do is convince Annie she has to come with me, and my plan is fool proof!"

  
  
  
******  
Friday night…  
  
Dusty Hayes was nervously pacing back and forth in front of his living room window, ignoring the giggling sounds from the couch behind him.  
  
"Oh my goodness, she isn't even gone yet."  
  
"I know," Sunny Hayes whispered back. "It will even get worse. Once Jess has left, he won't be able to sit still until she returns. Of course he also can't sleep, eat, or please his wife."  
  
"And apparently, he doesn't even hear a thing," Gloria Baker said and shook her head at her brother-in-law's behavior. "But I bet he hears this." She winked at her sister.  
  
Sunny winked back and spoke again, this time loud enough for Dusty to hear. "Do you remember that one time we went out while I was still at college?"  
  
"You mean the time you almost got arrested for weed possession?"  
  
"It wasn't weed! It was for underage drinking. No I mean the time we got involved into the big nice brawl."  
  
"Ah!" Gloria snapped her fingers. "You mean that night you got a tattoo at the shop your sailor friend told you about?" She sat her glass of wine back down on the table and prepared to deliver the final blow to Dusty's nerves. She looked at a picture of her niece and said: "You know, Jess is really taking after you. In every possible way."  
  
Dragging out the last sentence, Gloria turned her head to face Dusty… and just like her sister, she burst out laughing at his shocked expression. After a few seconds, Sunny felt mercy for her husband and walked over to him.   
  
"Oh honey," she said kissing him on the cheek. "We were just fooling around. I have never been drunk in my whole life, never smoked weed, and I never got involved in a fight. And Jess won't either."  
  
"I have no doubt about that. But so much can happen to her! I mean… what if somebody attacks her on the street, or if some drunk driver hits their car or the friend she's going with drinks and drives and causes an accident or …"  
  
"…if she falls down the stairs right here and break her neck?" Gloria said. "Dusty, stop acting like she's 5. She's not a kid anymore."  
  
"Gloria is right. Besides, the friend she's going with won't drink and drive," Sunny stated.  
  
"So? Who is it?"  
  
"Annie."  
  
Relief washed over Dusty's face. Annie wouldn't let anything happen to his little girl. But still…  
  
"The two girls out alone?"  
  
Both Gloria and Sunny groaned and tried at the same not to laugh out loud.   
  
"Trust me Dusty, Jess and Annie can handle themselves. The Rangers trained Annie very well in self-defense, and Jess…"  
  
"I know, I know… she's good too in martial arts… thanks to her trainer." He winked and nudged his ex-partner who smiled proudly at the compliment. "But…"  
  
"Honey, if you say one more word, I'm afraid I have to kill you," Sunny said.  
  



	7. Chapter 7

Daddy's Girls: Chapter 7

Author's Note: Well, I've gotten permission to bring you up to what we call 'the good stuff', so keep your eyes in this space for a few more chapters of updates. The trouble is just beginning!

  
****  
Jess' room  
  
Carefully, Jess inspected her outfit one last time and flinched inwardly. The clothes she wore was nothing she'd want to be caught dead in, but she'd only wear them for a short time. The skirt touching her knees was wide enough to hide the pushed up legs of her black leather pants while the jacket still hanging over her favorite chair would perfectly conceal her tight, black low-cut bell-sleeve shirt. Her mother would probably know what was going on the moment she saw the jacket and skirt, but her father wouldn't. He'd have a stroke and a heart attack if he knew. In his mind, Jess never got older after her 12th birthday.   
  
With a swift move she pulled up her hair and fixed it with two long, pointy pins. Then, she opened a drawer and pulled out the Swiss pocketknife she'd gotten from Bruce and slipped it in her boot. Carefully she removed another item from the drawer and put in her small rucksack she'd take with her, along with some make-up items, a small mirror and her wallet. This would be a very special night. She'd managed to fool Annie into believing that they were going to a Country Club together, while in reality their destination was a club named Ecstatic, where they'd meet up with an unsuspecting Roxy. Jess had plans to try and play peacemaker between her friends, but if it didn't work… hell, seeing Annie's face when she realized where they going and whom they'd meet would give her the fun of her life.  
  
A knock on her door startled her.   
  
"Just a second!" Quickly, she pulled on her jacket and sat down in her chair, pretending to read her science book. "Come in!"  
  
"Hey Jessie, can I borrow your…"   
  
Eric Hayes raised an eyebrow when he saw his baby sister. "What's with the costume? Halloween isn't for another four months."  
  
"Really? Then why are you wearing that ugly mask? Oh, sorry, I forgot… you were born with it."  
  
"Cute, Jessie… really cute." He grinned. "I wanted to know if I could borrow one of your Advanced Biology books? Scott's coming over for a little tutoring."  
  
"Scott? As in Scott Trakker?" This evening kept getting better and better… if Scott would be here before Annie… "When is he coming?" she asked, pulling out her book and handing it to Eric.   
  
"Should be here any minute." The doorbell rang. "That's probably him."  
  
"Ooooh, I hope so… Annie would be sad if she missed him."   
  
"Eric! Scott's here!" Dusty yelled from downstairs.  
  
Jess's grin got bigger. This would be one hell one a night!   
  
  
"Come on in, Scott. Eric's gonna be downstairs any minute."   
  
"Thanks Dusty. It's nice of him to help me. I would have asked Jess, but she's already helped me through Chemistry, so I didn't want to bother her anymore."  
  
"You'd never bother me, Scotty," Jess said, coming down the stairs. Once again, Gloria found herself fighting a laugh again when she saw her niece. If she hadn't known her better, she'd be fooled by Jess' appearance.   
  
"Eric's just got a call from his girlfriend, so he'll need a few more minutes. Make yourself comfy so long. Would you like to drink something? Sunn and I made Mango Slashees."  
  
"Mango what?"   
  
"Ah, I see.. I bring you one… trust me, you'll love them." With that he disappeared into the kitchen and fixed a slashee for Scott. Now all she had to do was stall the tutoring long enough 'till Annie and Brad arrived. Oh, this would be so much.   
  
The moment Jess had finished filling the glass the bell rang a second time. The moment she heard Brad's voice from the living room, Jess rejoiced inwardly. Annie and Scott in one room… it was absolutely perfect.  
  
With a bright smile she entered the room and noticed Scott and Annie sitting awkwardly next to each other on the couch, constantly casting glances at each other.   
  
"Here's your Slashee, Scott. Hi Brad." She walked over to her favorite "uncle" -after Alex, Buddy and Jacques- and hugged him. Then, with a mean smile on her face, she turned back to the teenagers on the couch.   
  
"Hey, Annie, once you're done undressing Scott with your eyes, can we go? I don't wanna be late for the party just because you can't keep your hormones in check!"  
  
This was too much. Gloria almost choked on her wine, while Brad's mouth dropped open, Scott and Annie turned ten shades of red, and Dusty shook his head pretending he didn't hear what he heard.   
  
Her head shining brighter then a street lantern, Annie quickly got up, grabbed Jess by the elbow and pulled her towards the door.   
  
"Bye everyone," she quickly said, while almost running out of the house, a grinning and satisfied Jess in tow, leaving two laughing women, an embarrassed teenager and two deeply shocked fathers behind… and a clueless older brother who had missed it all.   
  
"What's going on here?" Eric wondered when he came to pick up Scott.  
  
"Have fun with Advanced Biology, Scott!" Sunny said, laughing even more. Scott's blush deepened, while Eric's confusion grew.  
  
  
  
As soon as they were out of the view of the eyes both of them knew were staring out the front window, Annie gave Jess a hard, not entirely playful, shove. "Thanks for making me look like an idiot in front of everyone, Jess," she snapped sarcastically.  
  
"No problem. Happy to help," Jess replied with a completely innocent grin. "I just adore making you turn as red as your hair."  
  
Annie shook her head and continued to walk toward Jess' car, knowing it was useless to comment, but feeling the need to persist anyhow. "I still think that there's no possible way you and Dusty could share the same genes."  
  
"That's funny, cause everyone says the same thing about you and Brad, too," Jess retorted with a malicious smile.  
  
"I heard that."  
  
"Damnit!" Jess muttered under her breath.  
  
"I heard that too."  
  
Brad stepped out from behind Jess' parked car and regarded Dusty's daughter with a knowing smile. Winking at her, he said, "That was a pretty nice stunt you pulled...I was ALMOST distracted enough to let you leave without saying goodbye. Almost."  
  
"Goodbye, Uncle Brad," Jess said in the same tone she used to sweet talk Dusty, even taking it one step further with the term of endearment.   
  
She walked over to the driver's side of her car, only to find Annie leaning against the door, blocking her entrance. The redhead was dressed in a hunter green sweater, tight fitting black jeans, and a pair of black cowboy boots. Her normally straight hair was curled into loose ringlets and topped by a wide brimmed black cowboy hat, under which she was smirking wildly at Jess. She stood there with her arms folded across her chest, the pose looking so much like Brad that Jess knew there'd be no escape.  
  
"When are you going to learn you can't sweet talk him?" Annie asked rhetorically. "Even *I* can't sweet talk him. Besides, wouldn't you rather hear the fatherly lecture about responsibility from him?"  
  
"Actually, I really just came to say goodbye...to Jess," Brad commented with a pointed look at Jess, and then his daughter.  
  
Jess caught the look and acted on it. "Yeah, he only wants to lecture YOU," she grinned as she shoved Annie away from the door and climbed inside the car.  
  
Father and daughter walked a few paces away. "You sure about this?" Brad asked, all fatherly seriousness.  
  
"Aren't you?" Annie replied with her own question, fully knowing he wasn't, at least not completely.  
  
"Just...keep her out of trouble." He leaned over and tipped Annie's hat back, kissing her on the forehead. "You call me if you need me, okay? No questions asked."  
  
Annie nodded and kissed his cheek, readjusting the hat on her head. "Would it help if I told you I had a hunting knife hidden in my boots?"  
  
Even though he knew she'd been trained in its use by professionals, the idea of his daughter carrying a knife, or any other weapon for that matter, unnerved Brad more than the prospect of a night out with Jessenia Hayes. "Probably not."  
  
"Okay then," she shrugged, a twinkle in her eyes, "I won't tell you. Night Dad."  
  
"Night Annie," Brad replied as Annie waved him off. "Don't let Jess rub off too much."  
  
The look he got over the passenger's side of the car told him he was starting to sound a little too much like Dusty, so he waved back and started walking back to the house, turning back only to make sure the car left the driveway safely. Then he turned back to Dusty's front door and planned the hardest part of his evening, how to escape from Dusty's worried clutches. 


	8. Chapter 8

Daddy's Girls: Chapter 8

Author's Note: Okay, okay...we're gonna end the suspense and upload enough to give an idea of the actual plot...i.e. "The Good Stuff". Please do again note the PG-13 rating, because this and subsequent chapters will get racy in some parts. Have fun reading! :)

  
***

  
  
Jess pulled her car into the parking lot across from the club. Ecstatic was the grungiest hottest nightclub in town. The two story building use to be an abandon warehouse, but was reopen and redesigned for the best night life experience of dancing, dining, and trouble.  
  
Annie blinked her eyes as the huge neon sign caught her attention, "Ecstatic? This place is known for bar room brawls and illegal drug activity."  
  
"You read something in the newspaper once and you automatically think it's a dump."  
  
"Actually," Annie clarified, "it was a police wire I saw at the Ranger Station, and this place IS a dump."  
  
"Come on Annie, I have a friend who works here. That stuff doesn't happen all the time." Jess turned off the car and stepped out.   
  
Annie observed the long line of people outside the club. They ranged from gothic, businessmen, college students, hard-core punks, and some people who looked like they had very little on period, "This don't look like a country club. You told me…" She turned her head to object to Jess, but she was too busy removing her good girl disguise to reveal her very provocative club wear.   
  
Jess throws her clothing in the back of her car and pouted to Annie, "Quit your gripping. It's a club out in the country. What's the difference?" Annie opened the car door ready to step back inside. "Annie, live a little will you. You're a teenager you need to do something your father would disapprove of, or your just going to live a very dull life."   
  
"Well, considering this little stunt just gave me a death sentence, I guess the state of my life doesn't really matter now, does it?" Annie turned a bleak glare on Jess and added. "Dad is going to KILL me when he finds out about this."  
  
"He won't find out as long as you don't tell him," Jess retorted. She walked around the car and pulled Annie's hand off the handle, "Trust me, you'll have a good time. Will you at least try it? Please…"  
  
Annie watched as Jess looked like she was ready to beg, "I guess it doesn't hurt to try. I'm already dead anyway."  
  
"Thanks, but um…lose the hat."  
  
"I like my hat. Thank you very much." Jess looked like she was going to protest again, but thought better of it at Annie's dark look. "You'll ride a black tornado cross a western sky, rope an old blue norther and milk it till it's dry, bulldog the Mississippi, pin its ears down flat, long before you take this cowboy's hat."   
  
"Uh, okay..." Jess just shook her head, knowing Annie's penchant for quoting country music lyrics out of the blue. "I'm not even gonna ask."  
  
"Chris LeDoux." Annie offered with a smirk.   
  
  
As the two girls walked towards the entrance, a motorcycle pulled up driven by a muscle man bearing a jacket of Hell's Angels. A young woman dressed in black boots, camouflage cargo pants, a black mid-drift shirt with a skull on it, and spikes on both wrists hopped off the back. Roxanne removed her helmet and handed it to him, "Thanks Pete"  
  
He smiled back, "Eh no problem…you just enjoy yourself."  
  
Once he droved off, Roxanne turned her head and locked eyes with Annie. Both girls froze with a slight displeasure. Jess broke the silent with a smile, "I figured you two knew each other. I thought we'd all set aside differences and have a good time together."  
  
Roxanne snickered eyeing Annie's wardrobe and ran her hand through her brown hair with purple streaks, "Well nobody told me the Rodeo was in town?"  
  
Annie balled her fist, yet remained calm and collective, "You haven't changed much either, Roxy, I see you've been opening your options as a future member of Hell's Angels. Still planning on murdering your father and everyone else's father I see. You traitorous bitch!"   
  
Roxanne just smiled and shifted her eyes to Jess, "Apparently you forgot to inquire about who you were bring. Just for a reference Annie…Pete knows your dad and been his bodyguard at some of his concert…so don't go bashing the guy for giving me a lift. But hey unlike some people, I'm not going to let this get under my skin."  
  
Annie grabbed Jess's arm, "We're heading back now!"  
  
Jess removed her hand, "Will you relax. Ok I know I set you two up shame on me, but…"  
  
"But nothing, Jess!" Annie hissed through clenched teeth, trying to control her rising temper. "How could you do this to me?! You're supposed to be my friend!"  
  
Jess flashed her eyes, more or less oblivious to Annie's outburst. " I need two really good friends to keep an eye on me in there. Since we're here we might as well go in, unless you prefer to wait out in the car Annie, while me and Roxy have a blast."  
  
Annie crossed her arms and sighed. _She doesn't understand how dangerous this girl is. Somebody's going to have to watch her back_. "Fine I'm going in."  
  
"So how's your head? Obviously it must still be healing up, if you picked that to wear tonight." Roxanne innocently smiled.  
  
Jess punched Roxanne lightly in the arm, after she spoken with the bouncer, "Hey now that's my fault. I sort of mislead her that was the only way I could get her to come."  
  
"I'm just glad my head can heal, unlike yours," Annie retorted to Roxy with a malicious smile. "I'm surprised no one's had you committed yet."  
  
"We're ok to go in." Jess said calmly, breaking apart the two bickering girls.  
  
Annie bit back any more comments, not wishing to speak with Roxanne any longer. Roxanne took pleasure in her silent treatment, "Well Miss grumpy face isn't going to ruin my night."  
  
The club was dark, loud, and crowed with people from wall to wall. Roxanne put a hand on Jess's shoulder, "I'm going to the bar to see if I can get some drinks."  
  
Meanwhile Jess dragged Annie towards the dance floor. Jess started dancing crazy to the techno music, while Annie just stood there stiff as a log. A guy who resembled James Marsden came up to Jess and started dancing with her. Before Annie knew it, he had stolen her away else where on the dance floor and had lost track of her. Annie felt vulnerable and absolutely miserable standing alone and being in the same room as her nemesis. Her eyes shift to Roxanne cutting her way through people to reach the bar. As long as Roxanne was here, Jess was in danger. _She'd probably get themselves kidnapped by a group of sex-deranged males._ Her concentration broke when she felt somebody's hand squeeze her butt. She turned around, "HEY!"  
  
The guy was dressed in a polyester suit, and his breath reeked strongly of liquor. Despite her anger he just smiled and continued to advance upon her, "Ooowwie we got a cowgirl." He then whispered to her in a bad John Wayne impression, "You want to go for a ride on my horsy little lady."  
  
The guy reached to put a hand on her, but Annie grabbed his arm and twisted it behind his back and slammed him into the wall, "Didn't your mother ever each you it's not nice to talk to a lady like that." She released her grip long enough to give him a shove in the opposite direction. "You better find another place to park your horse before he ends up lame."   
  
The guy took off feeling like he had just been mortally wounded. Annie was surprise that she received some applause and whistles for slamming the guy up against the wall. It was almost like nobody really cared, "This place is a disaster area."   
  
She then noticed a sign saying 'Restrooms & Phones' and took off towards that direction. _I'm not putting up with anymore of this garbage,_ Annie thought as she managed to find an empty phone without getting accosted. _If I stay here much longer, I'm going to end up knifing someone. Hopefully when I explain what happened to Dad, I'll just get away with a severe tongue-lashing and still be able to live life.  
_  
She dug out some change from her front pocket, slipped it into the phone and dialed. One ring, two rings, three rings... _Come on, Dad!_ She was practically dancing with anticipation by the time Brad finally picked up. "Hello."  
  
"Dad, it's Annie. I'm at the nightclub Ecstatic and I need you to come get me." She left it short and sweet, hoping that 'no questions asked' meant exactly that, at least until they got home.  
  
There was a significant pause on the other end of the line before she heard his static filled reply. "Honey, your reception is horrible and I only caught every other word through the music in the background. I'm glad you're having a good time, but I'm not sure why you want me to come get you."  
  
Annie sighed deeply, trying desperately to remind herself that it was a bad connection and Brad was not deliberately being obtuse. "The name of the night club is Ecstatic, Dad!" She practically yelled into the receiver so that he would hear her. "I NEED you to pick---"  
  
Someone yanked the receiver out of her hand. "Sorry, this number has been disconnected or is no longer in service," Jess said into the phone in a perfect operator's voice. "If you feel you have reached this recording in error, please check the number and try your call again."  
  
Annie lost it when Jess calmly hung up the phone. "What the HELL are you doing? You just hung up on---"  
  
"You said you were going to live a little, so get out there!"   
  
Annie let Jess drag her back out to the dance floor and put on a fake smile, all the while knowing that Jess' little hang up stunt would only bring Brad here all the faster. _At least it will, if he understood what I said.  
_  
  
  
On the other side of town, a very perplexed Brad Turner stood in his kitchen, still holding a dead telephone receiver in his hand. All he could make out from Annie's panicked tone was the word 'Ecstatic'...and something was definitely not right with the voice that had disconnected him. His eyes drifted toward the counter where a flier for a new nightclub rested. He remembered getting a call asking him to play there; he didn't remember the name, but he remembered refusing outright on the basis of their reputation alone. He picked up the flier and blanched as he read the name: Ecstatic.  
  
"Oh God..."  
  
As fast as his feet could carry him, he was out the door, stopping just long enough to grab his jacket and his car keys.  
  
_Daddy's coming, baby! Just hold on!_

  
********  
  
_Somebody shoot me, please! Dad, where the f*** are you?_  
  
Annie was starting to believe she was right in the middle of somebody else's nightmare. Under normal circumstances she'd have avoided this part of town like the plague… especially with Roxanne around… but then again, she was with Jess… and with Jess no circumstance was even remotely normal.   
  
"See that guy over there?"   
  
Jess pointed to a guy clad in leather from head to toe. "He's been staring at you all the time… another wanna-be Easy Rider wanting to take Annie Oakley for a ride. But I convinced him it would be no use trying to hit on you."  
  
"And how?"  
  
"Told him you were my girlfriend."  
  
At first, Annie didn't realize what Jess meant, but then it sunk in. "YOU DID WHAT!?!?"  
  
"Ssshhh, not so loud… look, it was the first thing that came to my mind, okay? Anyways he didn't believe me and wants to see some proof. If we can't prove it to him, he's coming over, and I don't think we could take him… even if we joined forces."  
  
"You've gone way too far this time, Jess!" Annie hissed angrily. "No way, you can just forget it! I've got a REALLY long knife, and I can run REALLY fast. I'll take my chances."  
  
"Did I forget to mention that he's got friends?"   
  
Jess tossed her head in Easy Rider's direction, and Annie eyes followed the movement, resting momentarily on two other burly bikers before turning a dark glare Jess' way. There was no way she'd be able to take all three of them, and Jess knew it. "If you think I'm kissing you…" Annie growled in capitulation.  
  
"Nah, please… you've eaten onion rings," Jess said. "Was thinking about a little dance."  
  
"Dance? With you?"  
  
"You rather want Roxy? Or Easy Rider?"  
  
Taking a look at the latter who just smirked back at her, Annie shuddered inward… and then found herself moving closer to Jess.   
  
"You're soooooo gonna pay for this, Hayes," Annie hissed in her friend's ear as Jess put her arms around Annie's waist.  
  
" Cash or plastic? Or do you take checks?" Jess had to bite down not to laugh at Annie's face.   
  
"Oh no, you aren't getting away that easy! When we get out of here, I'm carving payment out of your sorry hide!" Annie said in a weak attempt at retort. After all, she was still stuck in this embarrassing predicament.   
  
Jess just laughed at the threat she knew was empty. "Put yours arms around my neck and your head on my shoulder. Makes it look more real."  
  
Doing as her friend said, Annie put her head on Jess' shoulder and closed her eyes, evading Easy Rider's ugly face and everything around her, desperately hoping her father would come and save her. _Come on Dad; time to play hero and show up just in the nick of time to save the day!   
_  
  
Inwardly, Jess grinned. This night was better than she thought. She'd managed to get Annie and Roxy in the same place and keeping them from killing each other, plus, the current situation was another chance to get Annie up a tree. Wishing she could see her friend's face, she let her hands wander down until they reached the lower part of Annie's back. A nasty grin on her face, Jess let them rest there… and then, she squeezed Annie's butt tightly, making the other girl jump.  
  
"Sorry," Jess said barely hiding the amusement in her voice. "You got such a cute butt, I couldn't resist."  
  
_DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD!_ Annie yelled mentally. Knowing rescue wasn't coming anytime soon, Annie decided she better start to make good on a few more threats. She moved slightly closer to Jess and tightened the grip around her neck, positioning her two thumbs so that they were centered on Jess' throat.  
  
"Ooooh, Annie, you're really getting into thi-" Jess stopped talking as the pressure on her throat increased slightly. "Hey, what are you do---" Again, she was cut off by more pressure around her Adam's apple.  
  
Annie grinned evilly as she said, "You've got such a cute neck, I'd really hate to have to wring it right here in front of all these people, so just keep your hands to yourself until we get this over with, okay?" Annie applied a little more pressure on Jess' throat, forcing her to nod in agreement. "Thank you so much, honey," she taunted, waiting impatiently for the song to end.  
  
Jess looked at Annie, stunned for a moment. She knew Annie wasn't someone to mess with, but the same thing went for Jess. Slowly she moved her hand upwards, to Annie's neck… then she pressed her thumb roughly on a spot before Annie's ear, hitting a nerve center. Immediately Annie stiffened when a surge of pain rushed through her body.   
  
"First lesson in messing with me: Eye for an Eye. You hurt me, I hurt you."  
  
Finally the song ended, and both girls let go of each other, but Jess couldn't resist one last provocation. She leaned forward and planted a kiss on Annie's forehead.   
  
"Thank you, honey… was as good for as it was for me?" She gave Annie the most incredible fake real looking innocent smile.  



	9. Chapter 9

Daddy's Girls: Chapter 9

Author's Note: The plot thickens! And we've given you one of those cliffhanger endings you all love so much! More to come soon, so keep watching this space! :)

  
  
********   
  
Twenty minutes earlier:  
  
Buddy stood at the bar checking his watch and waiting on his drink. The bartender set a tall glass of beer in front of him, "Don't tell me you got stood up again Bud."  
  
He grabbed the glass and took a light sip, then slapped some cash on the counter, "I think it's my punishment for standing up my girlfriends the last 5 years, but tonight gonna be different."  
  
The bartender smirked, "Really? What makes you say that?"  
  
Buddy turned his head around smiling, "I think she just entered the room."  
  
A tall blond woman in a short strapless black dress stood at the entrance peering out looking for someone. "Think being the key word…there's no way that's your date, she's completely out of your league." The bartender replied as he went off to take care of his other customers.  
  
"You could at least wish me luck." He had a wide grin on his face as he picked up his drink.   
  
The blond woman noticed him moving towards the crowed and headed towards him. The two stopped right in front of an occupied booth.   
  
"Natasha…. you look fabulous." Buddy remarked looking her over.  
  
"Funny...ya didn't think that last week." She spoke in a high mickey mouse tone.   
  
"Yeah I'm sorry I stood you up duty calls, but how about a little later on I make that up to you." He moved in closer towards her.  
  
"Ye yesterday new Bud. You had your chance, you choose your greasy old cars over me."  
  
Buddy reached out and grabbed her arm, "Natasha you just can't do this to me."  
  
A beefed up man in a black T-shirt and slacks came towards the couple, "Hey Tasha this bastard bugging you." Natasha nodded and the man grab Buddy arm forcing him to let go and pushed him into the booth. Buddy staggered back and spilled his drink all over the table. "You stay away from my girl ya here me, else I'll slam that glass up your rear." He then put his arm around the blond and headed towards the dance floor.  
  
"Women," Buddy sighed, "never know how to please them. Not only did I lose my girl, I lost my drink as well. This just isn't my night."  
  
"Will you watch where you're going!" Replied a short man with blond hair and glasses in a business suit sitting in the booth. He was completely oblivious to the drama that unfolded a few feet away just moments ago.  
  
Buddy pulls out his handkerchief and starts cleaning up the spilled beer, "I'm sorry, I should have just stayed up at the bar. I swear that woman is a real snake in the grass."  
  
"I'm not interested in your problems sir. Just get the heck out of here, scram!" The man grew irritated that the guy wouldn't go away, " I can handle this myself."  
  
"I'm just trying to clean up my mess." He continued to clean up the puddles of beer resting on the table and slid his hand under the table attaching a bug, "I could go get some towels at bar then…"  
  
The man got up and pushed Buddy away from the table, "I said to get away, drunk!"  
  
Buddy picked up his handkerchief and snapped back at the man, "FINE!" He walked away angry and sat up at the bar, "Gee some people, you try to apologize and they still get edgy."  
  
"What happen to your date?" The bartender noticed Buddy quick return.  
  
"She went along with my drink."  
  
"Don't say I didn't tell you so." The bartender set another beer in front of him, "On the house."  
  
Buddy smiled back at his long time friend. "You always knew how to cheer me up." While he sipped his freshly brewed beer, he slipped an earpiece into ear. He could still hear the man back at the booth gripping over the spilled drink.  
  
"He isn't gonna show up now. That drunk was hanging around here too long, it's gonna look like I knew the guy." The man glanced at his watch nervously, "And he's late."  
  
There was a long pause after those words, and Buddy turned around to see if the man was still at the booth. The man had his eyes on the entrance watching as his contact made his way towards him. "Shit," Buddy mumbled under his breath as his eyes followed the new guy. _This is bigger then I imagine. A topnotch Contra World Agent and not just anyone, Jon Mayhem.  
_  
Jonathan Mayhem was twenty-four and stood about 6 foot 5 inches tall. In the underground, he's known as the human weapon because his entire body was built for combat. He is only son of Miles Mayhem, who was born solely for the purpose of continuing his father dream of world conquest. Currently he's Contra World top negotiator, but it's apparent his interest lye in controlling the entire terrorist organization. Jon's hair was buzzed short like a military man, his left ear had 4 piercing confirming his youth, and his face looking exactly like a cold blooded killer eying out for prey.   
  
Jon also wore black from head to toe with a leather trench coat, which most likely concealed a few weapons of choice. Buddy also noticed he had scattered a few of his men throughout the room, but he had lost track of them easily due to the ever growing crowd. Buddy diverted his eyes back to his drink and kept his head down low concentrating on the conversation and blocking out the background music.  
  
The man in glasses stood up, "You must be…"  
  
"Skip the intro," Jon remarked as he sat down at the booth and glanced around suspiciously. "Did you bring it?"  
  
"Only if you have the cash." The man with glasses smiled as he lifted a metal brief case off the floor. The man shivered slightly as Jon reached into his trench coat to pull out an object. Jon flashed him the package, then passed it too him under the table.  
  
Buddy turned around once again to get a glance at the goods being passed. He was a regular at Ecstatic, but that's only because the place was well known for black-market purchases. An informant had tipped him off that a major exchange was going down tonight. This exchange involves a highly contagious virus created at Gentech's laboratories, yet the buyers were unknown. Possible buyers were narrowed down to several terrorist organizations, Contra World being the top of that list.   
  
His eyes shift around the room again searching for Jon's bodyguards. Buddy knew it would be impossible to stop the exchange from happening, but he just might be able to take somebody for questioning. While searching around the room, his eyes stopped at the red head girl in a cowboy hat beating up a man in a polyester suit. He starred dumb founded. _Annie? What the hell is she doing in a joint like this!_ He turned back around in his seat and took a long sip of his drink. _I can't leave her here. Brad would kill me. As soon as the negotiations are over with, I'll just have to drag her behind out of here.  
_  
Jon opened the suit case for a peak, "Is this all of it?"  
  
The other man adjusted his glasses, "The only sample of it's kind. All data persisting to the virus is wiped out as well."  
  
"It better be else, I'll show up and personally and kill you and every member of your family. I don't think kindly to double crossers and it usually runs in the family bloodlines."  
  
Buddy turned his head around to get a glance at Annie, but she disappeared from his sight. Again he attempted to push her out of his mind and concentrate on the drop.  
  
The man attempted not to be frighten by Jon threat, and instead glanced at the package he received, "Hey this isn't all the money! You trying to pull some crap on me, we agreed a million."  
  
"You'll get half of it now and half of it when I learn this stuff is genuine. It's risky to deal outside our supply chain."  
  
"What's my guarantee in all this?"  
  
"If my word isn't good enough for you, then we both have a problem."  
  
"Both?" The man looked at Jon puzzled.  
  
Jon flashes the gun in his jacket, "I lose a dealer and you lose your life. Comprende?" Jon closed his trench coat, "I'm a man of my word, and I treat my boys with the utmost respect. You trample that respect and it will be cold day in hell. You'll continue to do business with us, and you'll receive the remaining amount as promised."  
  
"But I…"  
  
"There's no one time deal in this, Mr. Simmons is it? Once you're in this business you don't get out until your dead or worthless. And only I have say to when you're allowed to croak." Jon reminded as he threw the man a cold deadly stare.  
  
Mr. Simmons started to sweat and gulped in sudden fear. He had hoped this would be a one-time deal to get rich quick, but now he'd be force to work for Contra World for the rest of his life. This time the payment would be the lives of him and his family.  
  
Buddy shook his head slightly feeling sorry for Mr. Simmons, but the crime never does pay its sweet rewards. _Typical Contra World scheme. Pressure somebody into doing a job, then turn the whole thing around into a long-term employment agreement. They always use the money to hook their prey in, but that money always turns into blood money in the end. He's not the first low life to take that bait, but if he doesn't cooperate him and his family are both as good as dead.   
_  
Buddy turned around in his seat again figuring he'd give another chance, to spot Annie in the crowd. He sipped his beer and halted his thoughts, as he saw the cowboy hat making it's way towards the dance floor, "There she is." _She's the only person wearing a cowboy hat in this joint; if it hadn't been for that I'd never pick her out_. He squinted his eyes, "Who's that dancing with her?" His eyes froze completely on Annie, when he realized she was dancing with another girl. "Annie I…I don't believe it." He was unable to make out the attractive young woman she was dancing with, but realized apparently he wasn't the only onlooker at the bar. Buddy sipped his drink nervously wondering how exactly he should handle this situation. S_hould I tell Brad? No it's none of my business. But if I go over there I'll embarrass the poor girl._ Once Buddy saw the other woman grab Annie's little behind, he spit out his drink. _I can't handle this, little Annie is…is….  
_  
The bartender bit his lip, "What I wouldn't do not to be on the dance floor with those two."  
  
"Eh your not helping," Buddy grabbed a napkin and wiped his mouth and shirt, "I use to baby-sit that girl."  
  
"HEY BARTENDER!" Roxanne shouted, "I need two beers, and long island ice tea."  
  
Buddy eyes widen as he recognized the voice. He turned to his left and starred at Roxanne in the face, "What the heck are you doing here?"  
  
"Buddy? Wow I didn't know you even came to places like this." Roxanne smiled.  
  
"Well I…Don't avoid the question. How did you get in here?" Buddy looked at her like a disappointed father.  
  
"Well I didn't come alone," Roxanne spoke honestly, then raised her arm in the air to attract Jess and Annie walking off the dance floor, "HEY JESS ANNIE OVER HERE!"  
  
Buddy wasn't sure what was more shocking the 3 of them together in a club or Annie's memorable dance. Once Annie and Jess walked up to Buddy, he continued to remain stun. Jess was wearing the most revealing piece of clothing, and it suddenly hit him that she was the one dancing with Annie. All he could do was point his finger at Annie and Jess and move his mouth, but nothing was coming out.  
  
"Thank god you're here, Buddy you have to get me out of here!" Annie plead  
  
"You telling me you didn't enjoy it," Jess crossed her arms slightly disappointed knowing Buddy was going to take them all home.  
  
"Enjoy what?" Roxanne looked at Jess funny.  
  
"Well me and Annie were…" Jess was about to speak, but Annie covered her mouth.  
  
"You tell a living sole I'll kill you," Annie threatened. "I will carve your insides out like a pumpkin, and I'm not joking!"  
  
Roxanne looked at Buddy curiously. He was shocked about their presence, but he also kept sending glances over her shoulder.   
  
"What's with the ear piece?" Jess asked, "You think trying to pretend your Garth Brooks is gonna pick you up a date? Cause the country image seems to attract the opposite sex pretty well here."  
  
"Shut up, Jess," Annie snarled. To Buddy, she pleaded again, "Can we please go now, or are you waiting until Dad shows up to kill me?"  
  
Buddy pressed his hand against the earpiece; he couldn't hear what was going on anymore at the booth. All he could hear was Annie and Jess arguing about going and the blaring music in the background. "What?" He asked Annie absently as he glanced over at Roxanne to check to see if the men were still at the table.  
  
"What are you looking at?" Roxanne looked at him puzzled, then turned around to look at the nearby booth.  
  
"Well that concludes our business we'll keep in touch," Jon smiled as he stood up and surveyed the room one last time to ensure a quick exit.  
  
Roxanne stood there frozen as she saw Jon, "I know him."  
  
Buddy turned his full attention to Roxanne and notice that her and Jon were locked in eye contact. _If she knows him, he knows her. Oh shit my cover's blown!_


	10. Chapter 10

Daddy's Girls: Chapter 10

Author's note: Well, the suspense of another chapter was killing me as much as all of you, so here's another morsel to satisfy your craving. Keep reading and reviewing!

  
******

  
Jon smiled slightly as he noticed Roxanne and the man who stood next to her. He was the same guy who was hanging around the booth few minutes before the exchange. Jon kept his eyes on the girl and ran his hand under the table until he felt the bug. He then spoke into the pin on his trench coat in a calm tone, "The guy with the 3 little girls…grab them they know too much." Jon then headed towards the entrance.  
  
"Were leaving now!" Buddy grab Roxanne arm and lead her towards the back door, "Annie grab Jess."  
  
"Why do we have to leave now! We just got here!" Jess protested.  
  
Annie grabbed Jess's arm and dragged her, "Shut up were going."   
  
Jess stared at Annie dumbfounded. Then she noticed that Annie turned around and looked over her shoulder and did the same, immediately noticing two men in leather heading straight towards them.  
  
"Ah… got it…"  
  
With that, she grabbed her small rucksack while walking out and slung it over her shoulder before walking out quickly. But the moment they left the club, the four of them realized they had walked into a dead end. Another pair of Jon's men were awaiting them.  
  
"Nice of you guys to come to us on your own… would have been a pity if one of those beauties here got hurt, wouldn't it?" Thug #1 said, playing with a strand of Annie's hair.  
  
"True," Jess said, pulling something out of her sleeve. "It is a shame you guys have to be hurt."  
  
Before anyone could react, two shuriken flew out of Jess' hands, striking one thug into the hand and another in the shoulder.  
  
"YOU LITTLE BITCH!" both thugs screamed in pain filled anger.  
  
One of the men advanced on Jess as the other, who had been toying with Annie's hair, grabbed a handful of it. Or tried to. She deftly knocked his hand away before quickly ducking under the right hook Buddy threw. It sent the first thug sprawling, and the second soon followed after Buddy uppercut him with a sharp left.   
  
"RUN!"   
  
Buddy still had a tight grip on Roxy's arm and pulled her behind him as he sprinted for the car, trusting that Annie would do the same with Jess. He found his faith well placed as the redhead sprinted up from behind, lecturing Dusty's daughter the whole time.  
  
"What kind of a crazy stunt was that?! If Buddy hadn't reacted so fast, we could've been in big trouble!"  
  
"Take a look around, Annie, we are in big trouble!" Jess retorted calmly. "And you're pretty naïve if you think those guys were going to let us go without a fight. I just started it before they did."  
  
"That's my whole point, Jess!" Annie said in exasperation as they reached Buddy's car without any more incidents. "Didn't anyone ever teach you that the first rule of self defense is that if you don't need to fight, then don't?! We might have been able to distract them, or back up and avoid them before you started throwing weapons around."  
  
Buddy's somewhat disappointed, angry, and worried voice broke into their discussion. "We'll discuss THAT shortly, now get in the car!"  
  
Annie and Jess quickly climbed into the back seat, as Roxy and Buddy did the same up front. Buddy threw the car into gear and peeled out of the parking lot quickly, turning the car back toward the direction of town and Boulderhill. Now that the immediate danger was over, he took a moment to look over the three girls unfortunate enough to get mixed up in his undercover operation. _What the hell were these three doing in there in the first place, let alone all of them together?! _One look into the rearview mirror at Jess' maniac grin and lack of clothing gave him one piece of his puzzle, and a glance over at Roxy's heavy metal look gave him another. The glares Annie shot out from under her hat at the other two pretty much sealed up the explanation, but he wanted to hear this firsthand. _I also want to know how they managed to dupe Brad into going along with all of this. _  
  
"Okay, Annie, what the hell were the three of you doing in a club like that?" Buddy demanded as he locked eyes with her in the rearview mirror.  
  
"Hey, I can explain!" Roxy protested from the front seat. "What are you asking her for?"  
  
"Because I don't have the time or the patience to filter the truth out of your explanation," Buddy snapped back.  
  
"Well, Buddy, this is really what happened…" Jess tried to stall him with her sweetest and best 'this-is-how-I-weasel-my-way-out-of-trouble' voice.  
  
Buddy smiled maliciously at her from the driver's seat. "The same thing applies to you, Jess, I know how you operate. I only want to hear this explanation once, and I'd like it to be accurate, so let's have it, Red."  
  
Annie shrugged, pretending to be nonchalant although she was anything but. "I was under the impression that JESS and I were going out to a country club. You can imagine my surprise when we pulled up in front of THAT," she jerked her finger behind her for emphasis, "pit hole, and things deteriorated from there when SHE showed up."   
  
Annie shot a pointed glare in Roxanne's direction as Roxanne retorted. "Yeah well, next time I'll remember to ask Jess if she's bringing her COOL friends."  
  
Jess' burst of laughter cut off Annie's reply. "I wish I could have captured the looks on your faces, too…it was just priceless!"  
  
"I knew you had to set this up." Buddy simply shook his head and sighed as he turned the conversation back to Annie. "And your father and Dusty went along with this?"  
  
"Why wouldn't they?" Annie shot back giving Jess the most murderous glare Buddy had ever seen on her face. "Dad's the one who's always telling me I need to get out more, so it isn't like he could contradict himself by saying no. And I'm sure Dusty figured I'd be the responsible one. And I tried to be…I even called Dad to come get us, although he might not have gotten the message because SOMEONE," Annie's glare darkened, "hung the phone up on me."  
  
"Just like you to go running back to Daddy," Roxanne taunted.  
  
"At least my father can trust me not to get him killed!" Annie snapped back quickly. "Unlike you who put us into yet ANOTHER dangerous situation."  
  
"ENOUGH!" Buddy's frustrated shout silenced all three girls at the same time. _Lord, I can't even think straight. I'm gonna have three angry fathers at my throat, one of which is already on his way here…that is if we make it out of the area._ He sighed deeply and did the only thing he could do at the moment, and that was lecture the hell out of them.  
  
"Well Annie," he began, "that's really great you called Brad, but unless he shows up really soon, that's not going to help us much." He shot a look back at Jess as he asked, "And what the hell were you doing with shuriken!?"  
  
Jess flashed him a charming smile. "Don't worry Buddy, Gloria and Bruce trained me really well in their use. I won't hurt anyone I don't mean to."  
  
"You yourself just said that place was dangerous, so we have to protect ourselves." Annie piped in, finding herself unconsciously defending Jess. "I brought my knife along just because I've become extremely suspicious and paranoid by nature, and now I'm glad I did."  
  
"Well, I'm not," Buddy said harshly.   
  
He started to ask Jess if her parents knew she was carrying dangerous weapons around, but cut off the stupidity of his own unvoiced question. Instead, he continued to grill Annie, the one he had previously considered the most innocent of the group.  
  
"Does Brad know you're hiding a knife on you?"  
  
"Yeah, I told him," Annie replied truthfully. "Besides, the Ranger Boys taught me well, and it was originally Jesse's idea that I learn how to use one."  
  
"Look, Annie, just because Jesse Hawkes has an idea, does not mean that it is automatically a good one." When Buddy saw that Annie simply stared back at him evenly, he stopped wasting his breath lecturing her, instead he returned to conversing with all of them. "You girls are WAYYY too young to be throwing weapons around." He caught Roxanne smirking at him out of the corner of his eye and turned on her. "I suppose you're carrying too?"  
  
"I don't know, care to search me?" Roxy smiled invitingly. Her smile disappeared as she caught a glance out the side mirror. "Uh Buddy, there's three cars following us…"  
  
"Shit!" He cursed loudly, speeding up. "All right girls, hang on, and lay low!"   
  
Jess and Annie ignored his request and instead turned around in their seats, to get a glance out the back window. Three black vans were coming up from the rear. The girls notice somebody's arm sticking out of the first vehicle's passenger window.   
  
"He's got a gun!" Annie grabbed Jess both ducking down, as the first hit struck the back window. Annie and Jess both screamed softly as the glass shattered over their backs. 


	11. Chapter 11

Daddy's Girls: Chapter 11

Author's Note: The action is just beginning to heat up, keep reading!

  
*****

  
"I SAID TO STAY DOWN!" Buddy shouted as his foot slammed down on the gas. The second shot fired hit the trunk. His gut told him they were aiming for the tire, and he wasn't going to make it any easier for them. _If I just get to Boulderhill or at least the police station they'll back off._ Buddy gritted his teeth as he steered all over the road making it difficult for the shooter to lock onto its target. He turned his head to look back at Annie and Jess still hunched over, "You two ok?"  
  
"Just peachy…I think this is the second time tonight Annie stabbed me in the back," Jess remarked as some of the glass shards cut through her delicate shirt and into her back.  
  
Annie brushed the glass off the both of them, "Just focus on the road will ya!"  
  
Buddy's eyes shift between the 3 mirrors. The first van sped up and started following directly behind his car. "Gee what the hell can that thing go up too…I'm already going 95 miles per hour!"   
  
"Well they didn't exactly use all those plans Mayhem stole and instantly created assault vehicles over night." Roxanne buckled up and embraced for impact, "They started small by improving existing vehicles as test models."  
  
"OH LIKE WE HAVE TIME FOR A CONTRA WORLD HISTORY LESSON!" Annie shouted, but went silent as the van rammed into the back of the car. The vehicle violently jerked forward, both Annie and jess heads hit the back of the front seats.  
  
"I've told you girls you wear your safety belts…you should know that by now." Buddy grumbled as he made a sharp turn down a crossing road to avoid another attempt to ram.  
  
"As I as going to say," She chuckled lightly, as Jess and Annie both got up and put on their safety belts, "Those are no ordinary vans, in fact they could probably do double the speed then this old piece of…."  
  
"That's my car you're talking about." Buddy said defensively.  
  
"Don't you have a gun?" Roxanne asked as she opened his glove compartment. She noticed a 9-MM handgun next to a box of condoms.  
  
Buddy slapped her hand away and shut the glove compartment, "Don't open that!"  
  
Roxanne face blushed with slight embarrassment, "Apparently somebody prepared for anything in the line of duty." Her joking attitude was shortly replaced with seriousness. " Why can't I take the gun out?"  
  
"I won't have you sticking your head out the window and have to explain later to your father why I had to bring you home in a body bag." He argued.   
  
Annie shouted, "Buddy to your right he's gaining on us!"  
  
He glanced at his mirrors and only noticed two vans behind him; the third was in his blind spot coming up on his right side. The van made its presence known by slamming right into the side. The car jerked violently to the left by the force, yet Buddy was still in control. He pushed his car to the limit raising the speed up to 105 mile per hour. The passenger in the van attempted again to shoot out the back tired and succeeded. The tire blew sending the car out of control and swerving all over the road. The three vans stopped and watched patiently for the car to come to complete halt. Buddy tried to keep control of the vehicle, but instead it crashed into a ditch off the side of the road.  
  
"DAMN IT!" He screamed as he hit the steering wheel. "GET OUT GIRL WERE GONNA RUN FOR IT!"  
  
"Why can't we make a stand," Jess insisted ready to fight.  
  
"Jess if you don't start running, I'm going to carry you over my shoulder." Buddy answered as he lead the three girls towards the open desert.  
  
The three black vans parked right in front of the ditch. About a dozen men in black uniforms exited from those vans, and started gradually making their way towards them.  
  
"Isn't this what you always wanted Jess," Annie remark taking a glance over her should, "A bunch of guys running after ya."  
  
"Something tells me they're not my type," Jess replied   
  
Buddy looked back at the girls who were dragging far behind him, "GIRLS PICK UP THE PACE."  
  
Each of them shouted annoyed by his comment, "YOU TRY RUNNING IN THESE SHOES!"  
  
Buddy turned around and ran back. There's no way were going to out run them. "Girls were just gonna have to duke it out."  
  
"The numbers seem fair 12 to 4. Don't you think girls." Roxanne snickered slightly.  
  
"We'll just have to even up the odds a bit," Annie smiled as she pulled out her knife.  
  
"Here's they come," Jess remarked, as she stood in the middle of Annie and Roxanne in a fighting stance.  
  
"You girls do realize this isn't a game," Buddy add suddenly being haunted by the Charlie's Angle's theme song.  
  
One of the men in black shouted, "Remember bring them in ALIVE. Boss doesn't want them hurt!"  
  
Roxanne advanced towards the guy mouthing out orders, "That's too bad because I'm intending to inflict some damage." Roxanne elbowed the guy in the gut, then did a leg sweep to knock him off his feet and flat on his back, and topped it off with a nice hard kick between the legs. The guy rolled just over to the side cringing.   
  
"Come here you little brat," Another man shouted as he attempted to grab Jess.   
  
She ducked below his grip and crawled right under his legs, "You guys are really lacking in the intelligence zone." With that remark to again his attention, Jess jumped up and did a sideswipe kick right to the guy's face as he turned around. He staggered back cover his face that stung from the powerful force.  
  
Annie held her knife firmly in her hand as the thug circled about her carefully. He tried to surprise her by reaching for her other arm, but she spun away from him quickly, losing her trademark cowboy hat in the process.  
  
"That was my favorite hat!" she yelled angrily as she adjusted a tighter grip on her knife.  
  
"Aww, too bad," He taunted her, "Now, come on kid and put the knife away…we don't want you to get hurt now."  
  
"Try to take it from me," She insisted. The man advance towards her, but as she swung the knife he jump back to avoid getting cut. "Too afraid to come at me? Well then I don't like to wait." Annie threw her knife at the guy leg. He fell to his knees in immense pain. Annie slammed her right fist right into the guy's face then yanked the knife out. The guy felt forward stun, "Don't mess with the one and only knife throwing champ of the Sierra Mountains."  
  
Buddy was busy fighting off two goons. He threw a good boxing punch to the first guy's face, causing him to stumble off balance. The second guy was a bit stronger and had Buddy's head in a headlock. He laughed as he tighten his grip around Buddy's neck, "You won't get out little man."   
  
"Want to bet on that?" Buddy remarked as he kicked his foot right into the kneecap. The larger man grunted in pain and eased his grip on Buddy just enough to let him slide out. Buddy then pulled his hands together in a fist and knocked the man out at the back of the head.  
  
Just then all the fighting stopped when the sound of a gun being shot was heard. "I suggest you come along quietly, I'd hate it if I had to tell the boss one of our little friends couldn't make it to the party."  
  
The remaining six men had their guns aimed directly on them. "Drop your knife," the thug ordered Annie.   
  
She complied and dropped it on the ground, not far from where her hat still rested. "Yeah well we know when were beat."  
  
Jess added softly, "Yeah when they bring the guns out."  
  
The thugs patted them all down for any additional surprises. "Put the girls in one van…and him in the other." The thug remarked with excitement as he cracked his knuckles, "Well see if I can get some info out of him."  
  
"Buddy!" Roxanne yelled worried as he was separated from the group.  
  
"It's alright girls…just stick together." He remarked as he was forcefully thrown into the van.  
  
"Get in!" Another thug shouted at the girl, "OR do I have to pick you up myself!" The three girls complied and sat down in the van uncertain to where the future might lead them. 


	12. Chapter 12

Daddy's Girls: Chapter 12

  
****

  
A very agitated Brad Turner pulled into the parking lot of Ecstatic, fervently wishing he had someone or something to displace his frustration on. He caught a glimpse of Jess' car parked across the street and rushed over, only to find the clothes his 'niece' had been wearing discarded in the back seat. He clenched his fists and began mentally berating himself for going against his better instincts and allowing Annie to go with Jess by herself. He KNEW Jess' tendencies, having had most of them himself, and he should have KNOWN that something like this was bound to happen. But Annie had seemed so excited by the prospect, and she didn't get out enough as it was. And of course, Jess knew exactly the right type of lie to use on the both of them. _I can't believe I fell for this._ Knowing that he wouldn't find anything further in the car, and that his mental discourse would only waste time better spent looking, Brad let out a ragged sigh and quickly entered the club.  
  
Amazingly enough, he found an open stool at a corner of the bar that gave a pretty good view of the happenings inside the club. He immediately set his sights on locating Annie's black cowboy hat, the only thing that could possibly distinguish her from the other crazies in the crowd. _When this is all over, I have to remind myself to thank Dusty for influencing her so heavily… _  
  
"What'll it be, friend?" The bartender interrupted Brad's thoughts as he waited for his drink request.   
  
Slightly startled by the request, Brad just stared at him for a moment. He had absolutely NO desire for a drink, but considering he was sitting in a bar, he needed to make it look good. "I'll take a beer, whatever is on tap…" Brad replied absently as he continued to scan the club for signs of Annie and Jess.  
  
The beer appeared in front of him almost immediately, and Brad laid a twenty down on the bar, not really caring if he got his change back or not. The only thing he cared about was finding his daughter and taking her back home.  
  
  
  
The three girls sat in the back of the van crammed together, Annie and Roxy duly ignoring each other and Jess watching them, feeling terribly guilty over the whole situation. All that she had wanted was to bring her two best - and only- friends together to get them to know each other better, yes maybe even understand each other. But her whole plan had very much gone wrong. All that she had managed was getting them into the biggest trouble of their lives… and not only them but also Buddy. Tears welled up in her eyes, but Jess fought them. She never cried… at least not in front of others.  
  
Suddenly, a hand landed her shoulder.   
  
"Hey," she heard Roxy say. "You okay?"   
  
"Oh, just peachy. I mean, all I did was getting us all 'nabbed. I'm just great!"  
  
"Stop being sarcastic, Jess. It's not like you put a gun to our temples and forced to come with us."  
  
"Well, at least not in your case," Jess said softly. "Didn't leave Annie much of a choice."  
  
"Yeah, no kidding," Annie chimed in with a snort of derisive laughter.. "But I should've known that something was up when you ask to come to the Country Club with you. You hate that place because of all those - how did you put it? Stuck-up, snobbish, uppity people?"  
  
Jess gave a faint smile. "But still I dragged you two into this mess…" Jess couldn't go any farther before the tears spilled from her eyes, and she hid her face behind her hands. Hesitantly, Roxy reached out and patted Jess' shoulder, while Annie rubbed her friend's back. Glaring at each other, they didn't notice the slight, satisfied smile on Jess' face.  
  
_At least one thing about this plan worked,_ she thought. _They're doing something together without being forced to.  
_  
  
  
  
Brad spent the next few hours scouring the club visually, with the ever increasing sinking feeling that neither one of the girls were there anymore. He should have seen SOME sign of them by this point, Annie's hat being the most obvious. He fought down a rising panic, which quickly turned into anger, at whom Brad wasn't sure. He couldn't tell if he was more angry at Jess for lying to him and pulling Annie into this dangerous place, or more angry at Annie for going along with it long enough to enter the doors, whether she called him or not. Or better yet, was he angry at himself for allowing himself to go along with the whole production? He took a few deep breaths and reminded himself of his previously mentioned "No Questions Asked" policy. _Find them first, Turner,_ ordered the more rational part of his mind, _then you can proceed to grill the shit out of them._  
  
"Need a refill?"  
  
"No, thanks," Brad muttered in reply to the bartender's question.  
  
"You sure?" the bartender pressed him. "You been workin' on that one all night, and it's almost last call."  
  
Brad looked at his watch to see the truth of the bartender's statement. It was approaching 2:00 AM and he hadn't seen even a glimpse of the two girls. "No," he emphasized again, "I was looking for someone, but I don't think they're here."  
  
"Lotta people have been through here tonight," the bartender shrugged.  
  
Something in the bartender's mannerisms made Brad suddenly take notice. Eyeing him carefully, Brad reached into his wallet and pulled out a business card and another scrap of paper he folded up behind it. He phrased his words carefully as he slid the card across the bar. "If you happen to see a slim redhead in a black cowboy hat come through here, ask her to call home. She's my daughter."  
  
Brad slid off the stool and headed for the door, glancing backward just in time to see the bartender eye the card and the paper attached to it curiously before attending to the rest of his patrons.  
  
  
  
The van finally came to a halt inside a warehouse. How long they had been driving? What could they expect? Were they ever going to see Buddy again? None of them could be certain, and they were all wondering about the same questions in there minds.  
  
"OUT NOW!" A short Mexican man shouted as he opened the side door of the van. The girls complied with little resistance and glanced around there surroundings for possible salvation. The warehouse was filled with wooden boxes and right in the center was a semi truck, which was currently being loaded.  
  
"MARCH TOWARD TRUCK," The man ordered while five other men had guns placed on the girl.  
  
"This can't be good, their gonna ship us somewhere," Roxanne whispered to Annie.  
  
The man slammed his gun into Roxanne's face, "NO TALKING!"  
  
Roxanne covered her face feeling an awful stinging sensation from the bruise he left. Yet her hands didn't remain there for too long. The soldier grabbed her hands and locked them in a plastic braced around her back. It wasn't just her getting the special treatment Annie and Jess both received the special brace as well. The Mexican man eyed each of the girls with a wicked smiled, revealing he had other intentions in mind.  
  
"Jon wants this cargo taken care of well and brought to him in one piece," One of the soldier replied. "So if he gets anymore of this funny business, he's gonna deduct it from your pay. Means NO MUCHO DINERO!"   
  
"Si Senior," The Mexican man nodded with slight displeasure. "PUT IN TRUCK, WE GO!"  
  
The three girls were placed in the back of the semi. A hidden panel concealed by several boxes was revealed in the back of the truck. Once the girls were pushed into the compartment, they realized they were not alone. A man sat in the corner with bonds on his hands and legs and badly beaten up. He appeared to be knocked out.  
  
"BUDDY!" they yelled in unison.   
  
But their happy reunion was cut short as several soldiers violently force the girls to sit down. "That's enough girls! SIT DOWN and BE QUIET," A soldier order in a threatening tone, "Else one of you won't be making the trip."  
  
The girls continued to remain silent as the soldiers put plastic braces on their legs as well. A few minutes later the men left the compartment and sealed it shut.  
  
"Buddy?" Jess asked.  
  
"Yeah I'm still alive girls," Buddy remarked unhappily as he opened his eyes, "just catching some shut eye."  
  
"Now isn't the time to be taking a nap," Annie suggested, "How are we gonna get out of here?"  
  
"Don't know yet, Red. In fact we're in no situation to escape. Right now we're just gonna have to sit back and enjoy the ride. You girls doing ok?"  
  
"Besides Jess having a breakdown already….yeah peachy." Roxanne let out irritated.  
  
"You know you didn't have to bring that up Roxy," Annie said irritated. "If Jess was your friend you would of kept that to yourself."  
  
"Don't lecture me on how to treat my friends, unless you want that cowboy boot up your ass." Roxanne snapped.  
  
"Try it and I'll ram those spikes so far down your throat they'll be poking out from the inside of your wrists, not around them!" Annie threatened in retort.  
  
"Enough, both of you!" Buddy demanded, "Now is not the time or place for this. If we're ever gonna get out of this situation we're gonna have to work together. Jess you ok now?"  
  
"Oh yeah," Jess smiled slightly embarrass, "Just had a weak moment there. That's all. But since we're bringing the subject up, Roxanne took one hell of a smack to the face for opening her big mouth."  
  
"Jess," Roxanne remarked slightly embarrass that she would bring that up.  
  
"Come over here and let me look at it," Buddy insisted.  
  
"It's not that bad Buddy, I've felt worst. Besides what are you going to do about it? Your hands are tied behind your back."  
  
Jess snickered, "He could always give it a kiss and make it magically disappear."  
  
Roxanne kicked Jess with her feet as her face lit up with embarrassment, while Jess, Buddy, and Annie all had a good laugh. But that laughter was cut short once the semi-truck started moving to a destination unknown.   



	13. Chapter 13

Daddy's Girls: Chapter 13

Author's Note: Oh Harry, you should know by now that we aren't going to make it that easy on our three worried fathers.:) Oh no, they'll be more trauma to go through before the end, so make sure to keep reading! 

  
******

  
  
By 5:00 AM, Brad had lost count of the loops he'd made around the city. He headed back to his house with the wishful hope that somehow the girls had managed to sneak back in while he was gone. He combed through the house from top to bottom, but everything was just as he and Annie had left it the evening before. Running his hands through his hair with ever increasing nervousness and despair, he sat down at the counter to make a few phone calls.  
  
By 6:00 AM, he had clutched at his very last straw.  
  
"I'll make sure to let Matt know the girls are missing in case they DO turn up here, Brad," said Cutler's easygoing voice from the High Mountain Ranger Station in Lake Tahoe. "You make sure to keep us informed, we'll be down there in a heartbeat if you want help looking."  
  
"I hope it won't come to that, Cutler, but thanks."  
  
He hung up the phone and buried his face in his hands. He did NOT want to have to drive over to Dusty's and tell him both of his favorite girls were missing. Then again, there was the remote possibility that they had managed to sneak back into Dusty's house. Brad prayed that that would be the case as he left his house again.  
  
  
  
Brad didn't even have a chance to knock before Dusty's nervous frame situated itself in the doorway. "What happened!?" he demanded somewhat angrily.  
  
"I don't know, but I can tell you what DIDN'T happen, and that was the trip to the country club we were told about."  
  
"WHAT?!" All the color drained from Dusty's face as he allowed Brad to pass through the open door.  
  
"I got a call from Annie about an hour or so after the girls left," Brad explained as calmly as he could. "It seems they made a slight detour to a nightclub called Ecstatic."  
  
He might not have been quite so blunt if he had seen Sunny standing just inside the door. As it was, she turned just as pale as Dusty and asked quietly, "Isn't that the club that you turned down for a playing gig because it was too rough, even for you?"  
  
Brad nodded with a sigh. "That's the one. The problem is, when I went there to pick the girls up, there was no sign of them. On top of that Jess's car is still there." He didn't allow himself to let the shocked and worried expressions on Dusty and Sunny's faces deter him from finishing his explanation. "I've been out all night looking and making phone calls, with still no sign of them. I was hoping they'd be here…"  
  
"What the hell were they doin' in a place like that in the first place?!" Dusty exploded as Sunny tried to keep her tears in check.  
  
"I don't know, Dusty, but what's more important is where they are NOW. I think we better compare notes…there might be somewhere you know of that I haven't looked."  
  
Sunny wiped away a few tears telling herself not to lose hope yet, "What about Scott? He might know where the girls could of gone too."  
  
"Possible," Brad noted silently hoping that would be true.

  
The sun just rose as Matt Trakker headed down the stairs towards the kitchen. The day just started, and he was already in a sour mood. Several $100 bills were missing from his wallet, and the only suspect he could think of was his daughter.   
  
Scott Trakker sat at the table scooping a mouthful of cereal into his mouth, "Morn'n dad."  
  
"What have I told you about talking with your mouth full?" Matt smirked throwing Scott a napkin.  
  
Scott swallowed, then wiped his mouth with a sly smile, "Sorry dad."  
  
"Is your sister up?"  
  
Judging from the aggressive tone in Matt's voice, Scott knew something was up, "No I thought she was still sleeping. You know her it'd take a loud train to wake her up."  
  
"I was just in her room…she wasn't there."  
  
"Bathroom?" Matt shook his head wondering if Scott was covering for her again, "What about the gas station?"  
  
"Haven't tried there yet."  
  
Matt grabbed the phone and dialed the gas station expecting Buddy to pick it up, but the phone continued to ring with no on answering it. He hung up the phone and attempted to dial again thinking he might of hit he wrong number, but again nobody picked up the other line. "That's odd," he turned to Scott confused, "nobody's answering."  
  
"Maybe he's running late dad?"  
  
"No that's not like Buddy. In all my years, Buddy has never once not showed up late for work." Matt dialed Buddy home number, but he only got the answering machine. He hung up the phone worried. "He's not there either."  
  
"Well dad either Buddy just running late or maybe Roxanne ran away with Buddy. Who knows probably checked into a hotel last night, for all we know."  
  
Matt shoot Scott a concerning glance and became more serious, "What do you mean by that?"  
  
"Lighten up dad it's a joke," Scott defended himself, before his father could attempt to shake him for information.  
  
"What on earth would give you an idea like that? That's not even funny, Scott. For all I know she could be out on the street somewhere with some stranger. She took several hundred dollars out of my wallet"  
  
Scott continued to look innocent and confessed, "Well she did right a lot of X's and O's around Buddy picture in her diary. There was a lot of other personal stuff about him whisking her away in a '57 Chevy and dreaming about him wearing some sort of native outfit. I got to admit I couldn't put the dang thing down it was that interesting, but don't tell her she'll kill me literally."  
  
"Do you know any possible place she could of gone?" Matt asked attempting to swart any images of Buddy and his daughter hooking up. Before Scott could speak the phone rang, and Matt reached for the phone in hasted, "Hello?"  
  
"Hey Matt sorry to call so early," Brad spoke with concern, "but by any chance have you or Scott seen Annie or Jess. They disappeared last night and were really worried."  
  
"Annie and Jess are missing?" Matt stood there slightly shocked.  
  
Scott dropped his spoon just before it reached his mouth and just starred at his father, "What does he mean Annie and Jess are missing?"  
  
Matt put his hand up to stop Scott from questioning, "That's odd. Roxanne is missing as well. I can't seem to find her anywhere."  
  
Brad couldn't believe it himself, "Roxanne missing too? What the hell is going on?"  
  
"That's what I would like to know, " Matt insisted. "Scott seems to think it might be possible that Roxanne ran away with Buddy."  
  
"Oh come on, Buddy knows better then that." Brad defended.  
  
"When did the girls turn of up missing?"  
  
"I got a call from Annie sometime last night at Ecstatic, but by the time I got there the girls weren't there. Yet Jess's car is still in the parking lot. Right now I'm fearing the worst."  
  
Matt listen patiently, then lifted his head up at the mention of the club, "That's interesting. Buddy was on assignment last night at that very club."  
  
"That's a relief maybe he has Jess and Annie," he replied then removed the phone from his mouth and shouted to Dusty, "Buddy was at the club last night, I'll bet he has the girls."  
  
"He better," Dusty shouted, "cause both of them are gonna get it when I get my hands on them."  
  
"Ummmm Brad," Matt continued to speak as though the danger wasn't over yet, "Buddy didn't show up for work this morning, nor is he at his place."  
  
"You saying Buddy ran off with all our little girls?" Brad remarked with such discuss.  
  
"I'm trying not to even think that. All I know is Roxanne took a lot of money with her last night, and she hasn't come home. You guys check out Buddy's place and around town. I'm gonna pull in some favors with the local police to put a missing person report out for the three girls."  
  
"Alright Matt, we'll keep in touch."  
  
Brad slammed the phone down feeling more enrage then he was before. Dusty and Sunny just stared at him with the expression of what. He put his arms up in disbelief, "Roxanne missing too and nobody knows where Buddy is. Matt says he's gonna alert the police, that should help I hope. In the mean time, we can't give up the search and we need to check out Buddy place." 


	14. Chapter 14

Daddy's Girls: Chapter 14

Author's Note: Now Harry, we don't want to be giving away any major plot secrets now, because that doesn't happen until the next chapter... *looks sheepish* Oops, did I give that away? :) Anyhow, here's the next chapter of excitement, please keep reading! 

  
********

  
Time continued to pass and the tension was growing in the small cramp compartment in the semi-truck. Buddy gave Jess a quick glance over.   
  
"Nice outfit."  
  
"Thanks. I'm gonna burn as soon as we get home."  
  
"If you're going to burn, I can only imagine what's going to happen to me…"  
  
The two of them went quiet again for a while, as Buddy looked over at Annie's interjection. Ever since he'd seen them, there had been a question on his mind. A question that now burst out of him like a fountain.  
  
"So… you gals… you seeing each other?"  
  
"Considering none of us goes blind anytime soon, yes," Jess stated flatly.  
  
"Jess, that's not what he meant," Annie hissed, not wanting to discuss the issue any further. But now Pandora's box was open… and Jess wasn't planning on closing it.  
  
Roxanne lifted her head up wonder what exactly brought this conversation on, and what is it that she missed.  
  
"Ahhh, you mean if we're screwing each other's brains out? No." She inspected her nails. "There isn't any brains left in either of us."  
  
"JESS!"  
  
Buddy sat there stun for awhile, until he caught on that Jess was stringing him along, but he couldn't resist one more comment to Annie. "Scott's going to be awfully jealous…"  
  
"BUDDY!" Annie shrieked, turning a shocking shade of crimson. "Who's side are you on?!"  
  
"My own." He shook his head and snickered, "Oh Jessie, If only your dad knew this side of you."  
  
Roxanne on the other hand was laughing nonstop with tears in her eyes, after witnessing Annie's reaction.  
  
Even though they were all in a tight spot, it felt good to forget for a moment that there was danger facing them ahead.  
  
  
  
Meanwhile, at Buddy's apartment…  
  
"Did you find anything, yet?" Dusty asked Brad who was searching through stacks of papers piled up on Buddy's desk.  
  
"Nah." Frustrated Brad let himself fall down on the couch. "I don't understand. It's not like Buddy to disappear like this… especially not with our girls. We should keep driving around town, until we find some sign of there whereabouts. You'd at least think the man would leave some kind of clue for us to find if he'd really have to disappear for a while, as some kind of lifeline."  
  
"Ummm…. Brad what type of underwear does Annie wear?"  
  
Brad turns his head to Dusty who was searching through Buddy's bedroom, "How would I know? Why are you even asking me that question?"  
  
"Cause I'm wondering what he's doing with a box full of women's underwear." Dusty remarks with discuss  
  
Brad gets up and stares in disbelief, "I swear if he even touches Annie, I'm gonna do a lot more then kill him."  
  
"I second that partner, lets get out of here before we find something else we're gonna regret seeing."  
  
"So what type of underwear does Jess wear?" Brad couldn't resist the jab.  
  
"I ain't even gonna answer that," Dusty said in a tone that clearly stated the discussion was over.  
  
With a sigh, Brad nodded and looked around the apartment once again, until his gaze settled on something lying on the kitchenette counter.  
  
A note pad, the top sheet half ripped off. Frowning, Brad walked over to take a closer look. It wasn't like Buddy to leave a pad like this. Normally, he'd tear the top sheet he'd written on off completely, being the neat freak he was.  
  
"You know what?" Brad answered. "I think we just looked at the wrong lines."  
  
He picked up the pad and the pencil lying next to it, carefully hatching over the paper until he found what they'd been looking for.   
  
"What are you doing?"  
  
"Making us an almost perfect copy of the last thing he wrote down. Good thing he pressed down hard when he writes. The lines pushed through pretty good. See for yourself."  
  
Brad held out the pad for Dusty to see.   
  
_Ecstatic 10:00…James… deal…Contra World._  
  
"We been over this place with a fine tooth comb, and I don't think we're gonna find any better evidence than that, partner," Dusty drawled as he read the inscription on the notepad.  
  
"I think you're right," Brad agreed as they headed for the door. "We better go talk to Matt."  
  
  
  
  
Scott greeted them at the door of the mansion with a breathless, "What happened? Did you find anything? Are the girls okay?"  
  
Despite the situation, Brad couldn't help smiling slightly at Scott's outburst as he thought about him and Annie, but he hid his amusement at the completely serious expression on the young man's face. He placed a comforting hand on Scott's shoulder as he entered the mansion. "We didn't find them, Scott."  
  
"Found a clue, though," Dusty added as he shut the door. "Yer dad still here?"  
  
"Yeah, he's in the kitchen making some more calls. What can I do to help? Do you want help looking? I can look if you tell me where…"  
  
Scott was obviously just as distraught as the rest of them, and he had just as much at stake. It wasn't just his sister, but a mentor, a friend, and an unofficial girlfriend. Brad simply shot him a sympathetic look and said, "The best thing you can do for us, Scott, is to stay here and help man the phone. Annie called me once, maybe she'll try again. And if she doesn't get me or Dusty, she might try here."  
  
Scott just gave Brad a disbelieving look of 'yeah right', but he didn't protest much further. "It just seems like there should be something more we can do…"  
  
"I know it seems like we're clutchin' at straws," Dusty said, trying to lift Scott's spirits, "but we're doing the best we can, kiddo."  
  
"I know, Dusty."  
  
Matt hung up the phone just as the trio entered the kitchen. "Find anything?"  
  
"Just the imprint of a note Buddy left on his notepad." Brad handed Matt the slip of paper. "Looks like contact information."  
  
The ringing phone interrupted Matt's reply and he quickly answered it. He listened intently for a few moments before he stated in a flat tone, "We'll be right there." He glanced up at three quizzical expressions and said by way of explanation. "That was the police…they found Buddy's car in a ditch on the side of the road…"  
  
Without waiting for any further explanation, the three fathers headed for the door. Scott started to protest asking, "Can I-" When Matt, Brad, and Dusty all turned back to stare at him, he sighed deeply and sat down at the kitchen counter. "Right, I know, stay here, man the phone…" As the three agents left the mansion, he let out another deep sigh and asked himself, "How old do I have to be before they stop leaving me behind?"

  
  
One of the officers at the scene let the three of them past the police tape as he explained, "The tire looks like it was shot out…there are some scuffed tracks that indicate a possible confrontation, but we're still analyzing the scene…"  
  
A second officer in a squad car called the first officer over, so Matt, Brad, and Dusty took the opportunity to look around and come to their own conclusions about what might have happened. Matt took the lead, drawn immediately to a cordoned off area of sand scuffed up by several different tracks of footprints. Dusty leaned down for a closer look as Brad remained standing and peered over his shoulder.  
  
"I ain't no High Mountain Ranger," Dusty said with a smirk Brad's way, "but the way these tracks are all runnin' together, it seems as though somebody got inta a little bit of a scuffle."  
  
"I'm no Trakker, either," Brad continued the semi-humor by smirking at Matt, "but I think I'd have to agree with you."  
  
"Looks like they clean up farther down."   
  
Matt trailed along the barrier with Dusty and Brad following. The tracks resolved themselves nicely into four unique sets of tracks, and several others parallel to them that all matched. This time, all three fathers stared at the tracks intently, trying to discern what they meant.  
  
Brad broke the silence first, pointing toward one of the sets of footprints. "Those could be from Annie's cowboy boots…there's a square heel print and a pointed toe."  
  
"Jess musta been right beside her…there's a ridiculously small heel from them crazy stilletto heels the girl insists on wearin'," Dusty noted, indicating a different set of tracks.  
  
The other two sets of tracks were a very similar style of boot, with one imprint significantly larger than the other. As Matt mulled this over in his mind, a theory of what happened last night began to develop in his mind.  
  
"I think it's safe to assume the other two are Buddy and Roxanne. I think somehow the girls met up at the club and got embroiled in Buddy's mission."  
  
"Least we know they were probably okay when they left here…" Dusty said with forced hope.  
  
"A better question is where they are now…"   
  
Brad couldn't stand still any longer. He felt almost completely responsible for this as it was, and this inactivity was driving him insane. _If I would have just put my foot down like I originally wanted to…_ He sighed and started to pace in the opposite direction, stopping to momentarily adjust his tired eyes as they were drawn to a black material on the ground in the distance. _Oh no…_ His heart dropped right into his stomach when he approached and the material resolved itself into the shape of Annie's favorite cowboy hat, the one Dusty had specially picked out as one of her birthday presents. That didn't disturb him as much as the bloodied hunting knife lying just a few inches away, and he fell to his knees, staring in shock at the sight.   
  
Curious to see what had drawn Brad's attention, Dusty walked over to where he knelt on the ground. He gasped sharply at the sight before him and laid a hand on his good friend's shoulder, "Oh man…"  
  
"Give me your handkerchief…"   
  
Dusty complied immediately at Brad's razor sharp request, pulling the handkerchief out of his back pocket and placing it in Brad's outstretched hand. Brad used it to gently pick up the knife and examine it, as though it could tell him something about what had happened.  
  
Matt joined the group and laid a hand on Brad's other shoulder as he turned the knife over and over in his hand.   
  
"It's not hers," Brad intoned firmly as he laid the knife down exactly where he found it.  
  
"Brad, you can't know that," Matt contradicted softly.  
  
"The hell I can't!" Brad snapped, recalling the words Annie had said to him when he was in the hospital almost two years ago: _I knew something happened to you…I can't explain it…I just knew_. His tone softened as he added, "I would know if that blood was Annie's…I would just know…" He shook his head to clear it, and then said decisively. "What else I know is that we aren't going to find anything else here…"  
  
Matt looked down at him in understanding. "We need to go back to the club." 


	15. Chapter 15

Daddy's Girls Chapter 15

Author's Note: My coauthors figured I made you wait long enough, so here's the next chapter! Reviews are still welcome and encouraged!

Miles Mayhem crossed his arms and tapped his foot, waiting impatiently as the cheap Mexican labor Contra World had hired slowly unloaded the boxes of cargo from the semi that had just arrived at their Mexican Headquarters. He still had yet to see any sign of the 'special cargo' his son Jon had told him about. He was just about to yell at the workers to hurry up when he got a glimpse of the specified cargo. The soldiers busied themselves cutting the bonds off their legs before hauling four individuals roughly into the late morning sun. He let his eyes drift over each one of them individually, and he immediately dismissed the long-haired brunette out of hand as of no interest to him. And although the man who had sorely interrupted Jon's meeting seemed slightly familiar to him, it was the other two girls that held Mayhem's interest. He found it entirely too coincidental that the same redheaded girl that VENOM had captured in Italy would again be in his presence, and with Roxanne Trakker no less. He smiled wolfishly as he thought about the tortures he would visit upon Roxy for ruining his plans, but he pushed them aside as he pondered the connection between her and this mysterious redhead. As his eyes settled permanently on the other girl's features, he became increasingly convinced that he was missing something completely obvious.   
  
A bright beam of sunlight chose that exact moment to shine down on Annie's head. She had to settle for turning her head sideways to get the light out of her eyes, and in that moment of illumination, Mayhem saw the missing link staring at him from her profile. _Damn that bitch Warfield!_ He didn't appreciate being played for a fool, and that's exactly what Vanessa had done to him…again.  
  
"I want that red head in my office!" Mayhem snapped the order to one of the nearby soldiers as he stalked away to find Vanessa. "Lock the rest of them up until I figure out what to do with them!"  
  
The fact that Miles Mayhem himself had appeared to greet their arrival did nothing to lessen Buddy's sense of dread at how sour this mission had turned out. He first thought that himself or Roxanne would be one of Mayhem's first targets, but alarm bells started ringing in his mind when he saw one of the Contra World soldiers heading straight for Annie. The hot, Mexican sunlight shone like a beacon around those Vanessa-like features, and Buddy's stomach turned to lead. _Shit, he knows…_  
  
Annie saw the soldier bee-lining straight for her and did her best to clamp down on every muscle in her body that was telling her to run like hell. First of all, there was nowhere to run to, and second of all, they'd just be harder on her if they had to chase her down. She screwed her face into what she hoped was an impenetrable mask and resisted the urge to kick the soldier's feet out from under him as he grabbed her arm and began to haul her away from the rest of the group.  
  
"Annie!" Jess yelled in concern while Roxanne just stared.  
  
"Where are you taking her?!?" Buddy started forward and received the butt end of a rifle in his gut for his trouble. He was so doubled over in pain, he barely heard Annie's quiet reply of, "It's okay, Buddy. I'll be fine."  
  
He looked up and met her green eyes, which told a different story, but he admired her shot at bravery as the soldier dragged her away.  
  
Somehow Annie managed to resist every iota of instinctive self-defense training the Rangers had worked so hard to teach her as she reluctantly let the guard lead her down the hallways of Contra World's headquarters. Her muscles screamed at her to let them beat this guy into the ground, and the only thing preventing them from doing so was the more rational part of her mind telling them that it would pretty much be useless at this point. She instead turned her attention to memorizing the route that they were taking throughout the building, focusing on any distinctive feature that could mark the way to an exit just in case by some unbelievable chance she and the others actually managed to escape.   
  
Their destination seemed to be an office located in the center of the complex, and the soldier stopped just outside the door. Another arm reached out and yanked her out of the guard's grasp just as he was about to shove her inside.  
  
"Well, well, if it ain't the one who got away," Lester Sludge sneered as he pulled her way too close. "You just couldn't resist me, could ya baby? You came back to get reacquainted with ol' Lester…"  
  
The guard had no desire to tangle with Mayhem's crazed nephew, so he simply stood back and watched as Annie struggled in Lester's tight grip and growled, "Let go of me!"  
  
"Aww, now, don't be shy…come here and pucker up…"  
  
He yanked Annie's unbound hair, pulling her chin upward as he forced an unwelcome kiss on her lips. She reacted violently and automatically by biting his lip and shoving her knee into his groin with all the brute force she could muster.  
  
He doubled over in pain mixed with complete surprise. "Bitch!" he hissed as he lunged for her again.  
  
Annie kicked him in the stomach and tripped him, bolting for the open door of Mayhem's office and slamming it shut behind her just as Mayhem appeared in the hallway. He took one look at his bruised up nephew and shook his head in disbelief and undisguised disgust.   
  
"Look at you! You let a little girl beat you up with both hands tied behind her back! You're a disgrace to my family and this entire organization!" To the wayward soldier standing back in the corner, he yelled, "What are you just standing there for? Get him out of my sight! No one is to be here without supervision!"  
  
The guard snapped off a salute as Lester climbed up off the ground and followed him, grumbling the entire way. He stopped short as he saw Vanessa glaring harshly at him with a furious look in her eyes.   
  
"What the hell are you lookin' at?" he snapped at her. His only reply was Vanessa's fist connecting with his right eye, blackening it immediately. "What was that for?!"   
  
"Because I could," she hissed angrily. "Now stay away from that girl, understand me?"  
  
"What's with the protective streak, Vanessa? You act like the girl's your kid or somethin'."  
  
Another fist lashed out, matching the left eye with the right. "If you touch her again, I'll kill you."  
  
Vanessa stalked towards Mayhem's office before Lester could reply.Inside, Annie tried not to crumble in fear as she traded the ignorant member of the Mayhem family for the dangerous one. Annie suffered his touch as Mayhem forced her to sit down in the chair across from his desk and tilted her head from side to side as though he were inspecting a prize racehorse. Then he paced around her chair for a few moments before he crossed back to his desk and folded his arms across his chest.   
  
"What's your name, girl?"  
  
For a moment, Annie thought about not answering him, but decided not to push her luck too far. Her first name wouldn't mean much to him anyway. She forced herself to look him straight in the eye and say firmly and evenly, "Annie."  
  
He chuckled with dark amusement. "No last name, eh?"  
  
Annie surprised herself at how quickly the lie slipped off her tongue. "Cutler."  
  
Mayhem arched a quizzical eyebrow at her and smiled evilly. "You have your mother's lying tongue, but not her propensity for it."  
  
Annie's heart skipped about twenty beats. _Oh no, oh God no…_ She did her best to keep up the brave front as she replied quietly and steadily. "I don't know what you're talking about." As the door to Mayhem's office opened and Vanessa stepped through, Annie coldly finished her sentence with, "My mother abandoned me…she's probably dead by now."  
  
Outwardly, Vanessa gave no sign that Annie's words had affected her in the least as she paced over to stand on the other side of Mayhem's desk. Inwardly, she flinched and cringed at the harshness oozing from her daughter's statement. Their eyes locked momentarily before Vanessa broke the contact. She wouldn't admit to herself that she couldn't handle seeing the hatred in Annie's eyes, so she turned toward Mayhem and awaited his reply.  
  
To Vanessa's surprise, he simply laughed, obviously enjoying the little game of cat and mouse he was playing. He looked over at her and indicated Annie with a wave of his hand. "Then perhaps you'd care to explain this to me, Vanessa."  
  
She didn't bother trying to deny the obvious truth of the matter. Instead, she served her daughter with a taste of her own medicine. "A mistake I made a very long time ago."  
  
Annie's face remained impassive, but Vanessa saw several different reactions flash through her eyes. Fear, shock, hurt, and anger all passed through those green depths before unbridled hate and fury came to the forefront. Vanessa saw the minute change in her daughter's posture that indicated she was ready for a fight, and that if her hands hadn't been tied behind her back, Vanessa could be in for a world of hurt. Vanessa could immediately see that a lot about her daughter had changed in six months, but the girl was at least smart enough not to act on her thoughts. She was also thankfully smart enough not to make any sort of reply as she simply sat there and glowered at her and Mayhem both.   
  
"The only mistake you made," Mayhem continued angrily through Vanessa's internal thought process, "was trying to hide this from me! You know the rules as well as I do…your daughter should have been a member of ContraWorld, just like my son and my nephew."   
  
_Oh my God!_ It was all Annie could do to keep herself upright in her chair as the implication of Mayhem's words sank in. _I was supposed to…oh my God, ohmygod, ohmygod… nonononononoono…_ Her shocked eyes unconsciously flicked Vanessa's way for confirmation, only to find Vanessa standing impassively with her arms crossed. She glanced back and forth between the two of them for several seconds as her mind tried to comprehend the horrific revelation, trying vainly to keep her expression neutral.  
  
Mayhem stared hard at Annie for a few minutes before adding resignedly, "She's apparently already too spoiled to even try to begin any sort of training." An idea seemed to cross his mind at that very moment, because he smiled maliciously at her as he trailed a finger along her cheekbone, "There are other uses, however…she could be perfect for my son."  
  
Annie couldn't hold back her reply as she spat venomously, "I would rather die first!"  
  
Normally Mayhem would have left her a stinging bruise in reply, but this time he only laughed as though Annie had made the funniest wisecrack in the world. "I'm the only one who gives the orders on who's killed around here, and you don't seem to be on the list. In fact, I'm going to make sure no one lays a finger on you, until I decide what to do with you." He gave her cheek one last unnaturally gentle caress as he walked toward the office door, throwing one last order Vanessa's way as he left, "After you and your daughter get reacquainted, make sure she gets an appropriate escort to her new home."  
  
Vanessa could see Annie's poor attempt at trying to cover the shock of Mayhem's revelation. _Apparently Daddy didn't tell you everything…maybe now you'll finally understand…_ For her part, Annie desperately tried not to curl up into a fetal position as the implications of everything Mayhem said hit her between the eyes. _I can't believe I was supposed to… and now he wants me to…_ She was trying so hard not to break down, she didn't feel the slight pressure in the small of her back as Vanessa stepped over to cut the bonds holding her wrists.  
  
Vanessa was just about to cut the brace around Annie's wrists when her leg brushed against Annie's left cowboy boot. She stopped in mid-reach and re-sheathed her knife before she knelt down and tugged both of Annie's boots off of her feet.  
  
This shocked Annie into jerking her head upright and glaring at Vanessa as she barked, "What the hell are you doing?" _Lord, she knows something's in there…that knife is my last line of defense!_  
  
In reply, Vanessa calmly shook out the left boot, watching the hunting knife fall from its hidden sheath and skitter to the floor. She shook the right one for emphasis to be safe, then picked up the knife as she tossed the boots to the floor. "Get a new set of toys, did we?" Vanessa asked uncharacteristically mildly.  
  
Annie had just enough fight left to snarl back, "Untie me and I'll show you how nice I play."  
  
Vanessa paused, momentarily taken aback by seeing her own dangerously serious expression looking back at her through Annie's face. She then chuckled and pretended to be unaffected as she replied, "I don't think so." She cut Annie's bonds with her own knife before securing it firmly in her own belt and stepping back. "I see you've gotten yourself into another fine mess."  
  
"I didn't get myself into anything!" Annie defended, but her righteous anger deflated quickly when she realized Vanessa held her last chance to get out of here. She then rubbed her chafed wrists and leaned over to pull her boots on, making sure Vanessa could hear her soft reply of, "Forget it…I have no idea why I'm even trying to defend myself to you of all people."  
  
Vanessa once again felt as though Annie had slapped her in the face. She laughed ironically as she shook her head. "You still don't get it, do you? You have absolutely no idea…" After all that, and you still have NO idea what I gave up for you… She turned toward the door of Mayhem's office and added coldly, "I'd lose the self righteous streak if I were you. Right now, I'm the only thing keeping you alive."  
  
Most of the fight had left Annie by now, otherwise she might have done more than simply say, "Please don't do me anymore favors. I'd rather be dead than have to admit I owe my life to you."  
  
"I hate to burst your bubble, Annie, but you already do."   
  
Vanessa opened the office door just as Annie's escort arrived outside of it. Annie's expression showed Vanessa's words had stung her, but she managed to utter one last defiant statement. "Maybe you gave birth to me, Vanessa, but I owe you NOTHING about my life."  
  
Vanessa wasn't about to let her daughter have the last word this time. "After a stint of Mayhem's hospitality, you'll feel differently."  
  
With that, she shoved Annie into the arms of the waiting guards and slammed the office door behind her.  



	16. Chapter 16

Daddy's Girls: Chapter 16

Author's Note: For those of you paying attention, we've managed to surpass War Fields in the number of chapters written in this story so far, and there's still a few more to come! :) Please keep reading and reviewing!

Annie surprised herself as to how much she could actually take before reaching her breaking point. She was long past the point where she wanted to curl up into a ball and cry for her father, but she kept walking down the corridors that no doubt lead to Contra World's dungeons. And that was mainly because she wasn't about to show the guards escorting her any form of weaknesses that they could exploit. If anything, she tried to force her muddled mind to exploit the fact that the guards were under orders to leave her alone, but to no avail. It could only repeat to her the horrors that awaited her when Miles Mayhem decided what her fate would be…  
  
Only when the guards had shoved her into a cell and stalked away, reuniting her with Buddy, Roxy, and Jess, did Annie allow herself to lose any and all composure she had managed to retain.   
  
"Annie?"   
  
Jess started to get up to comfort her long time friend and make sure she was okay, but Buddy held a restraining arm out as he got a good look at Annie's pale features and haunted eyes. Whatever had happened had scared her to death; she was white as a sheet, and he wasn't going to risk Jess or Roxy upsetting a very delicate balance.  
  
Satisfied Jess was going to stay where she was, Buddy got up and started walking toward her, asking gently, "Annie, what happened?"  
  
Annie backed up against the cell door and stared at him like he was the devil incarnate. "You knew…didn't you? You knew…" she accused shakily as she started to cry.  
  
"Annie…" Buddy kept his voice even and soft as he reached for her hand, "What did they tell you?"  
  
"That I…" Her tears fell harder as she looked into his concerned brown eyes, "…that I should've…" She couldn't look him in the eye any longer, so she let her eyes drift to Jess sitting in the corner looking as frightened as she felt. She felt the room start to spin when her eyes locked onto Roxanne sitting in the other corner, and the revelation of what might have been hit her fully. "…I could have been you…" Annie muttered to Roxanne before her legs gave out completely and the room went dark.  
  
Buddy managed to catch her just before her head hit the ground. He fell to his knees with Annie hanging limply in his arms and pushed her hair out of her eyes. He knew she couldn't hear him, but he felt the need to say anyway, "I'm not going to let that happen."  
  
He lifted her up and settled back against the far wall with Annie's head cradled in his lap, trying to give her what small amount of comfort he could at the harsh revelation she'd experienced. The room remained silent for a few minutes before Jess got the courage to speak up.  
  
"Buddy?" she asked him softly. "What did she mean about you knowing something?"  
  
"Yeah," Roxy added, "and 'I could have been you?' What the hell is that supposed to mean?"  
  
Buddy sighed, unsure if he was willing to share with them what he and Brad had never been able to tell Annie herself. But he knew that the girls would persist in asking, so he steeled himself and replied, "One of Contra World's rules is that children born into the organization stay there. Meaning that if Vanessa hadn't abandoned Annie and left her with Brad, she'd probably be standing on the other side of that cell door. Brad and I could never bring ourselves to tell her that, but somebody else obviously did." He paused, then added in his most threatening tone, "What I just said stays between us, got it? And if I ever hear either one of you throw this in her face, jokingly," he looked pointedly at Jess, "or not," he turned the same look on Roxanne, "I will come down on you like a ton of bricks. Am I making myself clear?"  
  
"Crystal," Jess affirmed.  
  
Buddy glared at Roxanne until she provided a reluctant answer of, "Perfectly."  
  
"Good. Then let's start figuring out a way out of here."  
  
It was late afternoon, when a helicopter set down at Contra World's Mexican Headquarters. Jon Mayhem, who was still dressed in back and wearing a heavy trench coat even in the 100-degree heat, stepped out carrying a metal briefcase.  
  
"Where have you been?" His father rushed out of the compound, "I almost though you took the goods and sold it to the next highest bidder!"  
  
He smirked as if the idea had crossed his mind, "We'll you did teach me to keep my options open, but I was delayed due to an information leak. I couldn't risk the import taking our planned transportation route."  
  
"The truck got here just fine."  
  
"With all the goods intact?" He raised a questionable brow.  
  
Miles Mayhem laugh, "Yes…I do have to say you sure know how to pack a surprise boy."  
  
"Yes, that was just an unexpected bonus I happened to run into. I figured you'd get a kick out of it."  
  
"You should consider how that red head could advance your career," Mayhem suggested to Jon. "The Warfields have a strong terrorist bloodline, a union with ours could create the perfect soldier."  
  
Jon smirked at his father, dismissing the idea immediately. "I have someone else in mind to help advance my career, and I'd rather not catch anything from whatever it is Vanessa's been sleeping with."  
  
Mayhem chuckled before becoming more serious. "So did you find out where the leak came from?"   
  
"No, I let those ridiculous petty soldiers handle that man's interrogation, and they failed to send the proper message. I plan to use more direct measures to get my point across," Jon joked slightly. "If you excuse me father, I have work to do."  
  
Jon Mayhem made his way impatiently through the compound eager to get to work. His whole life revolved around being a negotiator for Contra World, but he had other objectives in mind. One day he'd gain enough stature and authority to take over the entire terrorist network and then the world. He hoped to steal his father's dream right from under him, if the man manages not to croak by then.  
  
Buddy paced back'n forth in the cell trying to figure out the best strategy to escape, but no matter how many times he devised a plan he'd always ended up back at square one. Annie was still sleeping peacefully on the ground curled up in a ball. Jess sat next to Annie impatiently awaiting her friend to wake up. If anything she wanted to cheer her up, even if they were currently in a dump. Roxanne remained her in corner, occasionally locking eyes with Buddy. He could tell she was thinking long and hard about escaping, but she couldn't come up with anything either. All eyes shifted towards the Dungeon entrance as three people entered.  
  
"Well did we enjoy the trip?" Jon asked in a polite friendly tone.  
  
Annie's eyes snapped open the moment she heard the unfamiliar voice. She jerked upright at complete military attention, wondering if Mayhem had already decided her fate. Roxanne also reacted to the new face. She stood up crossing her arms, as if she wasn't impressed by his hospitality.   
  
"I would say it could have been better," Buddy remarked in a serious point blank tone.  
  
Jon opened the cell and locked his cold eyes with Buddy, "You and me are going for a little chat. If you don't want certain gals who don't have protection to meet an untimely fate, I suggest you come quietly."  
  
Buddy could see Jon was throwing his eyes in Jess's direction, "Alright just don't hurt them." He willingly stepped out of the cell and let the guards apprehend him.  
  
"Buddy! Don't go!" Jess pleaded.  
  
"It's alright Jess. Take care of Annie."  
  
"Yes Jess," Jon gave her a crooked smile, "We wouldn't want you to waste your strength on a dead man now would we?" Jess responded back with anger flaring in her eyes, but she knew better then to open her mouth.  
  
His eyes then drifted over to the red head. She attempted not to show her fear, but it was clear she was scared of something. Annie took a slight peak into his eyes and felt like she could read his mind, it was almost like he was saying, "Yeah, I know who you are but big deal I'm interested in bigger fish."  
  
He then turned his full-undivided attention to Roxanne. She stood there unafraid of his presence, and her attitude clearly showed that she didn't give a damn who he was or what he was capable of doing. "Roxy…Roxy…Roxy," He mimicked in a soft tone, as his eyes slowly scrolled her from top to bottom, "its definitely been awhile."  
  
His advance didn't bother her one bit, in fact she rolled her eyes, "Spare me the antics and get the hell out of my cell. And by the way don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out."  
  
Jon smiled smitten, "Still as spunky as ever." But that smile quickly drifted from his face, "You know…I don't appreciate it when somebody gives me that sort of disrespect. In fact…" Instead of finishing his sentence, he caught her off guard by violently slamming her entire body up against the cell wall.  
  
"YOU PROMISE NOT TO HURT THEM!" Buddy shouted, but he quickly closed his mouth as one of the guards slammed his fist into his tender gut. He doubled over in pain, but what made it worst was realizing he couldn't do anything to help her.  
  
Roxanne locked her gaze into his cold eyes still not showing any signs of fear, even after he attempted to shatter her nerves. She could hear his inner laughter mocking her, for her stern attempt to show bravery. He pinned her up against the wall, by leaning his body against hers. His voice suddenly changed from harsh to overly friendly, "I've heard so much about you, and I've been eagerly awaiting our paths to cross again, cause your not like other women.  
  
"Go flatter yourself." She sharply remarked with disgust.  
  
Jon moved his lips over her ear and started whispering. Roxanne was completely stunned by the words coming out of his mouth, that her entire face turned bright red. Her body jerked and struggled to break free, but it was clear he wasn't going to let her go until he finished. She closed her eyes wishing his words would go through one ear and out the other, but she couldn't flush them from her thoughts. Annie and Jess sat there wondering what he could be telling her to make her that uncomfortable.   
  
After a few minutes, he was satisfied with the desired effects. As he moved off of her, she quietly slid down the side of the wall feeling like she had been severely violated. "You don't have to give me an answer now, later will do just fine," He then headed out of the cell giving none of the girls a second glance and disappeared with Buddy.  
  
Jess crawled over next to Roxanne, "What did he tell you?"  
  
"I don't want to talk about," She diverted her gaze to the floor.  
  
"It will at least make you feel better, if you get it out of your system," Jess insisted.  
  
Roxanne pushed her away lightly, "Yeah well it's not something I want to share with the group. K? If you need to pamper somebody, do it to Annie cause I'm not gonna cry my eyes out."  
  
Annie head jerked with anger at Roxanne's outburst, "How dare you even accuse me of crying!"   
  
"You don't see my head in Buddy's lap asking to be babied."  
  
Jess turned in time to see what she could have swore was a bolt of lighting pass through Annie's eyes, and she watched her friend's expression turn from terrified to vicious in a matter of seconds. Annie looked like a cat ready to pounce on her prey, and if Jess didn't do something, her prey was going to be Roxanne.  
  
"ALRIGHT THAT'S ENOUGH!" Jess shouted upset. Of all the times to lose Buddy it has to be now. "We don't even know if Buddy is going to come back, and all you two are doing is fighting. How is that going to help us get out of here?"  
  
The two girls looked at Jess already knowing she was telling the truth. The sparks died down as Annie and Roxy quietly sat in separate corners contemplating the knowledge that was passed through their ears. 


	17. Chapter 17

Daddy's Girls: Chapter 17

Author's Note: Ahh, the long awaited next chapter! I know I've said it before, but we're getting close to the end, and the fun's just started! Please keep reading and reviewing!

Elsewhere on the compound, Buddy was taken to a room that was dimly lit. The guards forced Buddy into a chair and restrained him down. Jon then entered with a metal briefcase and set it down on a nearby table.  
  
Before Jon could start the interrogation, Buddy gritted his teeth in anger, "What did you tell her back there?"  
  
"That's private business between me and Miss. Trakker. Somehow I don't think she'll be too keen on disclosing that." Jon nodded to one of the Contra World soldiers to begin.  
  
"Who said you could talk yet?" The solider shouted in Buddy's ear, as he slammed his fist into his face causing blood to drip down his mouth.  
  
"Now Mr. Hawks." Buddy looked up slightly shocked that the man knew his name, "I want to know who told you about my little get together last night."  
  
Buddy continued to remain silent, which consequently resulted in several punches being administer to his upper and lower body.  
  
"This doesn't have to be like this?" Jon insisted, "All I need is the name of your informant."  
  
Buddy spitted out some blood and cough slightly. "Never gonna happen. AHHHHH!" he screamed as the guard dislocated his right shoulder. The pain was nearly unbearable, but he wasn't willing to let it show on his face.  
  
After it was clear the warm up session wasn't working, Jon opened the briefcase and pulled out a syringe. "Listen Hawks." Jon remarked as he lifted buddy's badly beaten head up and smiled. "It's like good cop bad cop."  
  
"Yeah I kind of figured, he's the bad one and you come in and save the day."  
  
"No not really, you see he'll threaten to kill you and he'll beat you, but won't ever do it." with those words Jon stabbed Buddy's leg and injected him. "I'm the bad cop Hawks don't forget that, I don't bother with words."   
  
The eyes in Buddy's head rolled back as he let out a horrific scream. Once the sudden shock disappeared from his system, he starred at Jon wanting answers, "What was that?"  
  
"Oh just a little something I picked up last night. It's quite effective. You see this genetically engineered virus can shut down your entire nervous system. Don't worry the effects aren't instant, but after 24 hours of circulating through your body it will kill you."  
  
"So you plan to unleash a virus upon the population and wipe everybody out." Buddy concluded.  
  
"Well dominating the globe wouldn't be fun, if there is nobody to worship you. Sure they'll be some sacrifices, but countries will willingly pay up a decent sum of money, especially when we have the only antidote available."  
  
"That's just plain sick!"   
  
"You may see it that way, but I see it as business. Now if you want to live you'll tell me who contacted you!"   
  
"I'm still not gonna tell ya anything." Jon placed his hand on Buddy's dislocated shoulder applying an immense amount of pressure. Buddy shook with pain, but wasn't willing to let out another scream echo throughout the room.  
  
"I think after the first couple hours you'll change your mind. Especially when those three scared little girls are hovering over you, with no one else to turn too. Oh does it hurt when I do that?" He watch with amusement as Buddy's face became pale, "Here let me help you." With out any warning he slammed Buddy's shoulder back into place, causing him to shriek out in agony.  
  
"We're through, you can take him back to his cell." Jon remarked as stood up ready to leave, until he pulled a digital watch out of his pocket, "Oh I almost forgot." He attached the watch to Buddy's wrist, "This is a reminder, that when the clock ticks down to zero your dead. That is unless you decide to talk."  
  
Buddy lifted his head up to match Jon's gaze with determination to defeat him, but Jon just dismissed it as a fool's death wish.  
  
It felt like forever since Buddy was taken away, but the girls were a bit relieved to see their long time friend standing before them. Annie, Jess, and Roxanne all stood around him like curious little children a waiting story.   
  
"Buddy are you sure your ok?" Jess remarked staring at the marks left upon his face.  
  
"Despite what I may look on the outside, it's only ego that's bruised." He rubbed his soar shoulder and continued to smile as if nothing had happen, "So nothing happened while I was away?"  
  
Jess's eyes shifted between Roxy and Annie wondering who would speak up first, "No."  
  
"That's good to know. Ok girls I came up with a plan to get us out of here." Buddy rubbed his face as he could feel sweat dripping down his forehead, "Annie your going to be our decoy. I over heard the guards talking about how you're off limits Mayhem's orders, so I think if the guard sees you sick on his watch he might react with out thinking twice."  
  
"That's a good idea," Annie smiled with hope, "I wonder why I didn't think about that."  
  
"Then I'll jump the bastard, from there we'll make the plan up as we go along. Jess I think you're the best actress we got here so you'll scream for assistance."  
  
"I didn't know you knew I was acting?" Jess winked.  
  
"Alright…I'll just…" Buddy fell on all four breathing heavily, "Who turned up the temperature in the room?"  
  
"Nobody did," Annie replied, "What's wrong?"  
  
"Uh just tired," He crawled his way over to the wall and sat up against it.  
  
"Buddy?" Roxanne spoke up noticing something abnormal. "Why is there a watch ticking down on your wrist?"   
  
"What are you hiding from us?" Jess asked irritated  
  
"Yeah this is no time to be keeping secrets," Annie insisted.  
  
Buddy sigh realizing the three of them we're ganging up on him, "Cause that's how long I have to live." The three girls stood there paralyzed by his words. "Jon injected me with some sort of virus, that Contra World plans to spread for a profit. He claims he'll give me the antidote, if I tell him what he wants to know."  
  
"What is it he wants to know?" Annie asked curiously.  
  
"Who my informant is."  
  
"Then I don't see why you can't tell him," Roxanne insisted.  
  
"I'd be betraying a friend. Even if I did tell him, do you really think he'll give me that antidote? I want you girls to go on with out me."  
  
"WHAT?!" The three shouted in unison.  
  
He took a few deep breaths before continuing, "I'm just going to slow you down."  
  
"That's out of the question!" Annie spoke up as if she was a newly appointed leader, "Either we all go or we don't go."  
  
"Can't you at least, listen to a dying man's last request?"  
  
"There has to be a better way!" Annie remarked unwilling to listen to Buddy's plea.  
  
"We're not going to let you sit here and die alone," Jess grabbed his hand squeezing it.  
  
Roxanne stood there puzzled by his words. _I'd be betraying a friend_. In her mind the logically thing to do was to give up the information, but she knew she wouldn't be able to convince him otherwise. Yet he did have a point, there was no guarantee he'd receive a cure. _It's not fair, why did it have to be him? He's the only one who treats me like a person._ She continued to stare at him to quench the questions in her mind.   
  
Meanwhile, Buddy was oblivious to Roxanne's concerns and continued to argue with Annie about escaping. He tried vainly to appeal to her more sentimental side, "Annie, I didn't get you this far to have you end up a prisoner of Contra World…"  
  
"And your family didn't get me this far to have me abandon you here!" Annie immediately retorted. "They'd never forgive me!"  
  
Buddy wanted desperately to tell her that Jesse and Matt probably wouldn't even miss him, but Jess piped in again. "Forget it, we're not leaving you."  
  
"Discussion's over," Roxanne added with an air of finality.  
  
He sighed deeply, becoming too weak to really argue anymore. A stray thought crossed his mind, and he began to chuckle inwardly at the irony of the situation. Jon's virus would kill him long before Matt, Dusty, and Brad ever got the chance.  
  
The moment the doors opened at Ecstatic Brad Turner, Dusty Hayes, and Matt Trakker walked in determine to find answers. Matt took off towards the VIP section to speak with the club's owner. He figured he could blackmail the man for information, for letting three minors into the club. Two of whom come from respectable families. That alone was enough to give the press a field day to shut the joint down. Dusty decided to make his way around the room asking for any information about a man named James or any details that could hint the where about of the girls. Brad figured he'd take a second chance at the bar.  
  
"Excuse me."  
  
The bartended looked up, "Oh your that guy from last night. You find your girl?"  
  
Brad sighed, "No actually I'm looking for three missing girls and a friend of mine." His eyes locked with the bartender hoping to see some sort of reaction, "We think their in some kind of danger."  
  
"You don't say," He paused for a moment, as if he wasn't sure how to respond to that. "I'm sorry to hear that. I wish there was something more I could do for you."  
  
"Yeah well there is. Do you know somebody by the name of James? My friend had some sort of arrangement with him last night."  
  
"James…" He ponders awhile as if deep in thought, "Nope! Nobody I know. Here," The bartender puts a napkin in front of him along with a beer, "on the house."   
  
Brad pushes the drink towards the man, "Thanks, but I'm not interested."  
  
"Trust me pal, I wouldn't pass this drink up." he then spoke in a more threatening tone, "Cause if you offend me any further, I'll have security knock your tail hide out of here. I could careless about your sob story."  
  
The 'you got to be kidding' look spread all over Brad's face, but the bartender didn't look like he was joking. His eyes shift to the tall glass in front of him. This wasn't time to sit down for a cold one, but then again maybe the bartender knew something he didn't.   
  
As Brad took a sip of his drink, Dusty clamped his hand on his shoulder, "What the heck do ya think your doing partner? This is no time for happy hour."  
  
"I uh…"  
  
"Out of everybody I would of thought you'd take this serious. Especially considering how protective you'd been about that girl."  
  
"This is not what it looks like ok, I'm trying to get info from the bartender. He was here last night, maybe he remembered something."  
  
"Remember something? Looks more like he's helping ya drown your sorrows with a couple of beers."  
  
Brad put a hand on his head ready to lose his cool with Dusty. He was angry, heck they were all angry. They had no outlet for their frustrations, before you know it the three of them could very well kill each other. His eyes drifted back to his drink still unwilling to finish it, but then he caught something black on his napkin. The drink was sweating through the napkin revealing something written on the backside. Down right ignoring Dusty's yammering, he flipped the napkin over to reveal the note, Diner 2 am.  
  
Brad finished off the drink, then left a big tip with a thankful nod towards the bartender. "We're gonna get Matt and go."  
  
"Go? Are you crazy? We have work to do."  
  
"I know," He then handed the note, "Let's go get some coffee across the street and regroup."

The arguing between Annie and Buddy stopped hours ago and left an awkward silence throughout the cell. Jess and Annie were still trying to figure out how to make Buddy's plan work, without leaving him behind. Meanwhile, Roxy was watching Buddy out of the corner of her eye; it was growing more apparent that his condition was getting worst. The rising heat in the room was already unbearable, but Buddy looked like he was feeling the worst of it. At first he only felt dizzy, but now it looked like he was fighting for his life. He clenched his eyes together trying to block the pain, yet the way his body trembled and jerked said otherwise. Buddy was doing everything in his will power not to scare the girls any further, but the mask on his face could only cover his true feelings for so long. He balled his shaking fists attempting to ignore his body, but he couldn't help letting a few groans slip from his lips.   
  
To Roxanne this was unbearable to watch, she couldn't stand there pretending like nothing was happening. She knelt down besides him and eased his clenched fist, "Buddy stop straining yourself you need to lay down."  
  
"I'm ok really," He took several deep breaths before continuing, "you girls get some rest I'll watch you."  
  
"Why are you doing this to yourself?" She stared into his dazed eyes searching for answers. Before he could reply, Roxanne felt overcome by grief and threw her arms around his neck in an embrace.  
  
Buddy's heart sank realizing how difficult it must be for them to watch him struggle. He placed his hand to her head, "It will be alright...uhhh."  
  
"No more excuses tonight," She forced him to lie down on the ground and placed his head into her lap. He attempted to protest her comfort, but he was too weak to resist.  
  
Annie's attention drifted towards Roxanne and Buddy. _What is she up to? If anything I should be the one holding his head, after all its only fair to return the favor. She's not even family to him._ She pulled her knees up to her chin and rested her head on top of them, sighing inwardly, wanting to do more but unsure what. _Other than claw Roxanne's eyes out that is. Figures, ever since I met her, she's done nothing but take the people I love away from me…  
_  
Roxanne placed a gentle hand on his forehead and pulled it away slightly surprise, "Jess, he has a fever can you do anything for him?"  
  
"The only way I can think of to keep his temperature down is…. removing his clothes."  
  
"You're kidding, right? Please tell me you're kidding!" Annie's eyes were wide with shock. "You … you can't strip him of his clothes. He's like a brother to me."  
  
"I can and will… this is no time for modesty, Annie. Besides, he's a) got nothing that I've never seen before and b) he's probably seen the two of us naked more often than we know, when he changed our diapers."  
  
With an arched eyebrow, Roxy looked from a furiously blushing Annie to a very determined Jess and back, until a ripping sound reached her ears. Jess was ripping Buddy's shirt open with such force that the buttons started to fly.  
  
"Why do I have the feeling this isn't the first time you're doing such a thing," Roxy noted.  
  
"Maybe cause it isn't. Annie, would you please move your bony butt over here and help me with his pants?"  
  
Shuddering inwardly, Annie walked over to Jess and started to pull off Buddy's shoes.  
  
Buddy's eyes drifted from looking upward at Roxanne, to Jess and Annie stripping him down to his boxers, "Don't tell your dads about this ok?"  
  
"Just as long as nobody at the ranger station finds out about this," Annie remarked still blushing. "I'd never be able to show my face up there again."  
  
"Trust me, Red," Buddy reassured her, "other than your father, they're some of the LAST people I'd want to know about this."  
  
Jess rolled her eyes, "Your taking this whole situation out of context. Look at it as future practice for when you have your first night with Scott."  
  
"Do me a favor and shut up!" Annie snapped as she lightly pushed Jess out of the way and yanked Buddy's pants off. I can't believe I'm doing this…I am going to be sooo dead if anyone finds out…  
  
"See, that wasn't so hard, but you were a little clumsy undressing him," Jess remarked critically. "Definitely need to work on your style... maybe Scott will volunteer... it's for his benefit too"  
  
Buddy managed to squeeze out a laugh, before cringing in pain. "Good one Jess," He added before slowly closing his eyelids and drifting off to sleep.  
  
"Why did you have to say that?" A beat red Annie asked.  
  
"Laugher always is the best medicine for a sick person," Jess defended.  
  
"Well then you need a hell of a large dose!" Annie tossed back irritably as she resumed her position in the corner and tried not to die from embarrassment.  
  
Roxanne ignored the bickering and stroked Buddy's hair. He may look peacefully, but his face clearly showed he was still in pain.  
  



	18. Chapter 18

Daddy's Girls: Chapter 18

Author's Notes: The updates have been sporadic because we're working on the last few pieces of the story as this is posted, but here's some more action for you. Thanks to everyone who's been reading! Keep Reviewing!!!!

* * *

Matt, Brad, and Dusty sat in a diner's booth waiting impatiently for their mystery informant.  
  
"You sure he's gonna show up?" Dusty asked feeling like they were wasting their time.  
  
"I don't see why he'd pass me a note if he wasn't," Brad insisted.  
  
"Could of just wanted to get ya out of his hair."  
  
"It's the only lead we have," Matt reminded.  
  
A man in a baseball cap and black leather jacket then moved into the booth. Brad wasn't sure if he should be happy the bartender showed up or angry for concealing information from him, "Kind of hoping you'd be alone…but considering the circumstances I understand."  
  
"Understand," Brad spoke up in a dangerous tone, "James, If you would of told me something last night, I could of…"  
  
"Could of what? I didn't find out what went down until this afternoon. Do me a favor call me Aaron, my co-workers do.  
  
"Then if you had this information, why didn't you try to reach me sooner," Brad continued to grow angry.  
  
"Simple I had to know if your claim was genuine. For all I know you could be snuffing me out. Now do you want details or do we debate this."  
  
"Tell us where we can find our girls and our friend Buddy," Matt insisted.  
  
"If I didn't feel like I owed Buddy one, I wouldn't be blowing my cover for this."  
  
"Believe me, you have our gratitude for helping us out," Matt reminded.  
  
"I tip Bud off on an exchange going down between Contra World and some guy from Gentech. Some sort of highly toxic virus that turned up missing with all its research data this morning. I don't know how it happened, but those three girls blew his cover. They got heck out of here, before any one of those goons could put their hands on them. Of course, I was kind of surprise that I didn't hear back from Bud this morning."  
  
"The police found his car along the side of the road, with several gun shells." Matt added.  
  
"Can you at least tell us stuff we don't know? Like where they are and if they're alright." Dusty stepped in eager to get to the important stuff.  
  
"I do know there no longer in this country."  
  
"WHAT?" The three fathers express with complete shock.  
  
"The word on the street is that Contra World hired a Mexican shipping company to take some supplies over the boarder. Which just so happen to be early this morning."  
  
"How is that possible? Boarder patrol would of noticed," Matt insisted.  
  
"You see this shipping company is known for shipping illegal products over the boarder. Whether they be drugs, weapons, even women." The nerves in the three fathers spiked by that final comment.  
  
"Hell no not my little Jessenia. She's too pure and innocent to handle that sort of stuff." Dusty spoke up in an outburst.  
  
Brad smirked already knowing Dusty refused to acknowledge that wild side of Jess, "I don't think Buddy would let it come to that."  
  
"I agree," Matt continued to remain calm, "Buddy would watch out for them. But that doesn't answer the question how did they do it."  
  
"Simple there are special compartments made to hide goods, plus boarder patrol gets paid a hefty sum of money to ignore particular shipments."  
  
Matt scratched his chin, "Do you know what company?"  
  
He smirked with a smile as he pulled out a shipping invoice, "I got better then that. I got their shipping log."  
  
Matt grabbed the paper and glanced over it, "There's several possible locations, but if I cross check them with Contra World activity in Mexico, I should come across their whereabouts."  
  
"I'm sure you could," The man smiled as he stood up, "Now I got to head home and get some rest."  
  
"Are they ok?" Brad grabbed his arm forcefully still not satisfied with the information given.  
  
"I can't say, but I wish you fella's the best." He remarked removing Brad's hand.  
  
"Thank you Aaron," Matt added, "you've been a great help."   
  
Once the bartender left, Matt looked at his fellow agents, "We'll let the computer determine Contra World whereabouts in Mexico, then call the team in and get our girls back."  
  
The morning sun slowly crept into the cell echoing a start of a new day. Nobody had been able to sleep, especially with Buddy grunting in pain all night. Worst of all the watch on his wrist indicated he had only half the day to live. All night Roxanne had watch that watch counting away the remaining life of her dear friend. She half heartily thought that if she could pause it he'd live longer, but this was no fairly tale. No rescue would come; instead, he'll just die in her arms. A tear of hopelessness streamed downs her face. _I don't want to lose him. He was always been there for me in times of trouble…I love him…I won't let him die! _ She took one last glance at his face, before gently resting his head on the ground and standing up.  
  
"You want me to take over?" Jess asked figuring Roxy was tired of being a human pillow.  
  
She walked right by Jess ignoring her question and grabbed onto the bars screaming, "GUARD! I want JON! Here NOW!"  
  
Annie and Jess threw curious glances at each other by her request. While Annie chose to remain silent and observe the latest scheme Roxanne was brewing, Jess wasn't going to allow another friend to cut her life short, "What are you doing? Are you crazy?"   
  
"I'm going to save him," She muttered under her breath to herself ignoring Jess's questions.  
  
The guard walked up to her smirking, "I don't have to do jack for you sister."  
  
Roxanne grabbed his uniform thru the bars and slammed his face into it, "GET HIM! OR I'll kill you!"  
  
The guard rubbed his face feeling like the bars had been imprinted on it, then rushed off in a hurry.   
  
"Roxy think about what your doing! He's only going to make this worst. This is not what Buddy wants," Jess tried to convince her she was doing something insane.  
  
"Don't you dare lecture me on what Buddy wants!" She replied gripping the cell bars angry. "He's too sick to know when to throw in the towel."  
  
"Annie talk some sense into her!"  
  
Annie's eyes clearly signaled to Jess the complete stupidity of her request. "Yeah, right, like anything I say is going to have any effect. Just what exactly would you like me to do?"  
  
Before Jess could pursue the matter further, the guard returned with Jon.  
  
"What do you want?" Jon said in an irritated tone, "I'm in a middle of something important."  
  
"Help him." Roxanne insisted.  
  
"Is he ready to speak?" Jon asked curiously. Roxanne stood there in silence. "I didn't think so," Jon replied turning his back.  
  
"Wait!" She hit the bars completely furious with herself and closed her eyes, as if she was about to say something she would regret, "What if I agree to your terms?"  
  
Jon turned around surprised by her offer. The look on her face clearly showed she seriously meant every word. He approached the bars and let his hand caress her face. He whispered softly for only her to hear, "You'll come with me?"  
  
A single tear fell down her face, as she realized she was selling her soul to the devil. "Yes," she answered in a quiet tone staring into his dark eyes.  
  
"You must really care about him," He remarked noticing her reaction. "Open the door."  
  
The guard unlocked the door, and Jon entered the cell. Both Jess and Annie hovered over a sleeping Buddy ready to protect their friend.   
  
"Step aside girls!" Jon ordered  
  
"You have to get through us first!" Annie stubbornly replied uncertain, if Roxanne had given Buddy a cure or an instant death. She knew she had just sealed her own death sentence, but she didn't care. _I'd rather die trying to protect him than let the bastard kill him first._  
  
"It's alright Annie…Jess he's going to help." Roxanne added with reinsurance.  
  
"I don't believe that," Annie growled, adopting a defensive stance.  
  
Jess, still having faith in her friend, grabbed Annie and forcefully moved her out of the way before she got them both killed.  
  
A small snicker pursed from Jon lips as he knelt over Buddy, "Well it's your lucky day a damsel has thrown herself upon your grave." Jon pulled out a syringe from his pocket and injected it into Buddy's arm. "He'll be fine within a couple hours." He remarked directly to Annie and Jess.  
  
As he headed out of the cell he grabbed Roxanne by the arm, "Come along Roxy we have business to discuss." Even though it appeared he was forcing Roxanne to follow, she willingly complied with his wishes without letting her eyes meet her cellmates.  
  
"ROXY WHERE ARE YOU GOING!" Annie shouted already knowing she did something stupid.  
  
"What exactly did you agree to?" Jess asked worried.  
  
Leaving both girls in the dark, Roxanne left the dungeon ignoring the questions and shouts from behind her.  
  
"I can't believe she did that!" Annie started trashing her the moment she dropped out of sight, "Of all the inconsiderate things to do. We're suppose to stay together, and she goes off on her own solo again."  
  
"But Buddy will be alright…. right?" Jess asked as she knelt down next to Buddy and placed a hand on his head to see if his fever had broken.  
  
"I don't know only time will tell." She sat down Indian style and held Buddy's hand. _Thank god he got the antidote, but at what high of a price did she pay for it?_After maneuvering the compound, Roxanne now found herself in Jon's quarters. She felt completely tense about the situation, and the room change wasn't making it any easier. It was bad enough Lester had made a forceful advance upon her a few years ago, but now she managed to get herself in the same predicament. Yet this time she had nobody to turn to. Buddy's life was more important then her own worthless one or that's what she told herself.  
  
He came up behind her and placed both his hands on her shoulders, "You seem nervous."  
  
"I've…I've never done…. something like this before."  
  
"That's surprising considering how attractive you are," He teased lightly into her ear, then turned her around to face him, "Despite what you maybe be thinking, my intentions are not as dishonorable as my cousin."  
  
She eyed him more serious, "Then what exactly do you want with me then?"  
  
"You agreed to place your life into my hands did you not. Your mine, and you'll do whatever I tell you to."  
  
"Only as long as he stays alive," Roxanne remarked in an aggressive tone.  
  
"Of course I'm a man of my word, but you better remember who owns you."  
  
She stood tall unwilling to show regret, "I won't."  
  
"Good…you can take your clothes off now." He added in a sharp tone.  
  
"WHAT!" Her eyes nearly jumped from their sockets, "But you just told me…"  
  
Jon starts to laugh, as if the look on her face was priceless, "I though I'd get that reaction."   
  
She crossed her arms with sarcasm, "Oh very funny."  
  
"Catch," He remarked as he threw her a pile of ragged clothes, "I want you to put those on."  
  
The rags appeared to be clothing belonging to possibly the locals, "Going to humiliate me with a wardrobe change?"  
  
"I'll explain once I get back from my meeting." He approached her and ran his hand through her hair, "You're going to remove all your belongings and these ridiculous multicolor from your hair. I have a job for you, that will test your loyalty to me." Just as Jon was about to leave her alone, he halted at the door. "Don't get any ideas about escaping. Or I will shoot your friends," he coldly added before shutting the door behind him.  
  
She dropped the clothes on the ground and slumped to her knees. There was no going back, and if she cross him more then one life would be at stake.  



	19. Chapter 19

Daddy's Girls: Chapter 19

Author's Notes: A little dissention in the ranks to spice things up before things really start going downhill... what will happen to Buddy and the Girls? Will the MASK team find them in time? Keep Reading! :)

_How did I get myself into this mess?_ Roxanne wondered, as she tiredly dragged her feet forward. She had been out in the desert for what seemed forever without water. Then again the hot sun was causing her to lose all sense of time and direction. Her unsteady eyes looked ahead at a small remote local village. There appeared to be very few shacks surrounding a well. Most of the people were attending to their daily duties and were far too busy to notice her entering the village. Despite the situation, attention was the last thing she wanted to draw to herself. Roxanne wore a dirty white shirt, sandals, and a locally made skirt that allowed her to blend in well with the locals. Her long dark brown hair was a final touch of the deception.  
  
"Water," Her lips echoed as she quickened her pace towards the town water supply. She pulled the bucket out the well and began scooping water into her mouth with her hand. No matter how much water pass through her lips she couldn't satisfy her thirst. In fact, there was more working against her then just the heat.  
  
Jon's words echoed through her mind, "Once you reach the well you're going to infect their water supply. Everybody will suspect the virus to be an outbreak affecting the local popultion."  
  
She ran her hand over her right arm where she had been injected with the virus. Her arm shook violently in pain, as she could feel the virus spreading quickly through her system. _I don't want to do this. I don't want to kill a bunch of innocent people, but I don't have a choice. He'll know if I deceive him and kill us all. _  
  
"Once you complete your task, you'll receive the antidote," Jon's voice weighted heavily onto her conscious. "Even you know there are sacrifices to be made for choices my dear."   
  
Roxanne pulled a knife from her belt and ran it across the palm of her hand. She closed her eyes letting the instant pain subside. After placing the knife back into her hilt, she closed her fist tight around the fresh wound and squeezed a few drops of blood into the well.  
  
To stop the bleeding, she ripped the bottom of her dress and wrapped the cloth around her open wound. Not wishing to stay any further to draw suspicion, she turned around and headed back towards her pickup point.  
  
"What's taking her so long? She should be back by now?" Vanessa half worried and half angrily replied as she glanced at her watch.  
  
"Maybe she took a run for it?" Cliff Dagger suggested, "Just like we should, it's too hot out here."  
  
"She's known for stupid tricks…but knows better when she's physically out match." Vanessa reminded. "You stay put I'm going to drive Manta closer to see if I can pick up a reading on her."  
  
"But Vanessa…Jon said not to get close. We don't want them to know Contra World behind this."  
  
"I know that you idiot! He only said that for your benefit!" She sharply remarked as she took off in Manta.  
  
It didn't take too long for Vanessa to come across a figure lying face down in the sand. The image would be shocking to any witness, but she knew she wasn't dead yet. Vanessa left her vehicle and gently turned over a sleeping Roxanne. "Roxy wake up." She ordered as she lightly slapped her face.  
  
Her eyes flickered open, and her cracked dry lips muffled out, "Water."  
  
Vanessa grabbed a bottle of water from Manta and forced the bottle to her lips, as if she were feeding a baby. "You gave me quite a scare seeing you like that." Roxanne continued to gulp down the water; even after she finished the bottle she requested more. Vanessa put an arm around Roxanne and pulled her up off the ground. It was clear it was more then dehydration that was effecting the girl. She worried if the viral infection had escalated due to the sun exposure.  
  
"Dagger come in!"  
  
"Yeah I'm still here."  
  
"I found her. I'm taking her back to base."  
  
"Antidote?" Roxanne requested dazedly looking at Vanessa.  
  
"Roxy…Mayhem ordered that you aren't to receive that antidote, until Jon returns."  
  
She closed her eyes wincing in pain, "Wh…when?"  
  
"Not until tomorrow morning…it's to ensure you don't escape."  
  
She half laugh and cough with expectancy, "Why am I not surprise?"  
  
Buddy still slept soundly on the floor of the cell as two worried teenagers sat beside him and wondered what his waking would bring. Jess kept a close eye on him as she leaned back against the wall, while in the meantime Annie looked at Jess as though suddenly contemplating something.  
  
"Why?" she suddenly asked.  
  
"Why what?" Jess looked at Annie, slightly irritated.  
  
"Why do you play this…Jekyll and Hyde game? I mean… you're taking so many risks, doing things I'd never dream of doing…"  
  
"Which is excatly why I do it. Because it's boring to be you."  
  
Now it was Annie's turn to be surprised. "What? What do you mean to be me? "Why… would you want to be me?"  
  
"Because you have something I don't."  
  
Annie laughed bitterly. "Are you crazy, Jess? Are you sure it's not the other way around? Because you have a wonderful mother, brothers who love you, a terrific father…"  
  
"Are you sure Dusty knows he's my father? 'Cause he seems to forget about me everytime you pop up somewhere. Then it's always Annie this and Annie that. The only way I could make him notice my existence was becoming a carbon copy of you. But he doesn't know me." Tears welled up in Jess' eyes as she let out a frustration that had been boiling up for years now. "He idolizes you. I wanted him to look at me like he looks at you and talk about the same way he talks about you. I wanted just a few minutes of the time he spends with you. So, to get that… I had to be like you." She wiped a few tears away that had managed to escape her eyes. "This is why Rox and I get along so well… we've spent so much time to get just a tiny bit of our fathers' attention that we the crazy things we do to blow some steam and frustation off. Because pretending to be perfect is excruciating."  
  
Annie locked eyes with one of her best childhood friends, seeing inside them a resentment that she never even knew existed, and she could not believe what she was seeing and hearing. She couldn't begin to comprehend that someone who had EVERYTHING she wanted out of life was confessing that she wanted to be like her. For a moment, Annie had no idea how to reply except to stammer in surprise, "Is that what you think? That I'm perfect? That my life is perfect?"  
  
"You can stop pretending to be surprised anytime, Annie," Jess snapped irately, half-glaring back at her friend. "We all know just how perfect you are, especially my father."  
  
"NOBODY knows how I am! NOBODY!" Annie shouted as she leapt to her feet.  
  
Jess unconsciously shrunk back into the corner of the wall as Annie's angry shout startled her completely. Annie's face twisted into an utterly foreign mixture of emotion as she whirled on her friend and began to let her have it as the floodgates opened wide.  
  
"So you think my life is so perfect, huh? That it'd be so wonderful to be me?" Annie snorted derisively. "You don't have a CLUE what it's like to be me, what it's like to struggle day in and day out with things that normal people take for granted…things that YOU are obviously taking for granted."  
  
"Oh yeah, like what?" Jess replied with her own snort of disbelief.  
  
"Like the fact that your mother didn't abandon you on your father's doorstep! Like the fact that she loves you and will always be there for you no matter what! Like the fact that you will never have to live in her shadow and endure looks from your father's friends, wondering if you're going to turn out just like her!"  
  
Jess could only continue to stare, shocked, as Annie unloaded almost seventeen years worth of emotional frustration on top of her. She watched as streams of angry tears fell down her friend's face.   
  
"You'll never feel what it was like to know from a very young age that your mother didn't want you, and you'll never know what it's like to ask yourself every day if your father is going to leave you too! You'll never have such a huge abandonment complex that you're scared to death to even make the tiniest mistake around him, so you do what you're told and don't talk back, and become that perfect angel, his perfect little girl. Because…" Annie's voice cracked sharply, "…because he'll just leave you if you're anything less than perfect!"  
  
Annie started to shake as the pent up feelings traveled up and down her whole body. Jess tried to make a reply, but Annie wasn't finished just yet. She took a deep breath and then shakily carried on.  
  
"You will NEVER, EVER, know what it's like to have your father branded as a traitor. You will NEVER see how much respect he lost in the eyes of his co-workers, and you won't have to EVER watch him try doubly hard to gain it back. You will NEVER spend three long, agonizing months in a remote mountain cabin with a CB radio as your only method of communication, and only a man, a teenage boy, and a dog for company, waiting and wondering, hoping and praying that the rumors aren't true. That your father really ISN'T working for VENOM, and he really isn't a traitor, and maybe, just maybe…" Annie's voice died to a whisper, "…he might come back one day. And you'll never have to feel the insecurity of knowing that the only people willing to take you in aren't even related to you by blood!"  
  
Buddy slowly opened his eyes at the sound of her distressed tone, but his voice was still too weak to carry over to her. He lifted his head slightly, just in time to see her slump against the wall and pull her knees up to her chest.  
  
Jess took a deep breath to calm down. "I'd be very careful in using the word never, Annie. 'Cause other than you I was actually here to experience the situation with your dad. It was hard for all of their agents and even their families. I can remember one night that I couldn't sleep because a few agents were at our house discussing the situation. I remember walking into the kitchen to get me a glass of water and finding my aunt crying, while Buddy was outside kicking the hell out of our rainbarrel. My dad was so sick of it that he actually cried himself to sleep one night. So sorry, if I'm not pitying you much about this part of your story, because I've seen other people suffering through it too. As for your comment about the only people willing to take you in and being actually related to you… did you forget your grandparents? People who were you're blood relatives and raised you."  
  
Annie turned the most pitiful look on Jess as she sniffled and choked out between tears, "Believe it or not, Jess, I want the same thing as you. I want people to notice ME. All I have ever wanted is for people to look past my mother's shadow, to look past that seemingly perfect exterior, to look deep down for that scared little girl and reassure her. Tell her that everything is okay and that no matter what, they'll love her, and never leave her. Dusty is one of the few people that can and has done that. He's one of the few people that can make me comfortable in my own skin, and make me forget all my insecurities." Annie's expression turned regretful as she half apologized, "And I'm sorry, Jess, if that affected you badly. I had no idea, I honestly didn't. But considering that you're going to have a lifetime of security, I don't think that me taking a few hours of your father's time here and there is a large price to pay."  
  
"Depends from which side of the canyon you're looking at this."   
  
Annie opened her mouth to say something, but Jess cut her off. "No, I listened to your rant, now you listen to mine. Did it ever occur to you that your parents did what did because they love you more than anything in the world? Brad just couldn't raise you on his own, so he gave you to people of whom he knew they'd give you anything you'd need. As for Vanessa… did you listen to what Buddy told us earlier? She saved you by giving you away. Saved from living a constant life on the run. A life of crime and violence."  
  
"She could have stayed with us."  
  
"Could she? Annie, from what I gather, you can't just quit being a VENOM agent. Mayhem would have hunted her down and taken you and her back to Contraworld. With that she would have doomed you to become a terrorist. But she gave you away, and I doubt it was as easy for her as you may think. I know this sounds mean now, but you should finally open your eyes to world, Annie… maybe you'll see a few things you've missed before."  
  
Annie rested her head on her knees and continued to tremble as the wave of repressed emotion left her feeling weak.   
  
"If… if it's any help for you… I don't see Vanessa Warfield when I look at you… I see Annie Turner."  
  
Unsure what else to say, Jess simply stared at her friend for a moment until she caught Buddy moving out of the corner of her eye. She rushed over to help him sit upright and propped him up against the wall as he eyed her suspiciously.  
  
"Jess, what's going on?" he demanded in a slightly stronger tone. He then glanced around the cell and noticed the missing figure. "And where's Roxy!?!"  
  
"She…she left…with Jon," Jess stammered in explanation. "He gave you the antidote before he took her away, but Annie and I don't know what she did…"  
  
_I think I do. Roxy what the HELL were you thinking! That man is nobody to be making deals with._ He closed his eyes and the back of his head hit the wall lightly, as he attempted to control his anger. The memory of Jon taking advantage of the helpless girl lingered in his mind. Buddy had no idea what sort of words had been exchange that moment, but her body language gave him a clear picture. He wasn't going to stand by and let one of his girls become his next plaything. "How…how long ago was she taken?"  
  
"A few hours ago," Jess calmly remarked.  
  
"That girl really going to hear it from me, when I get my hands on her," he indicated in a low muttering tone. Buddy sighed raggedly and focused on the two girls in front of him, one of which still sat huddled in the corner. "You didn't answer my first question."  
  
"Annie and I were just…" she paused to search for the right word, "…discussing a few things."  
  
Annie looked up and over at Buddy at the mention of her name and slowly got up from her corner to come sit beside him, an unreadable look in her eyes. "We're finished," she said softly.  
  
Buddy locked gazes with her, then glanced back at Jess. An unspoken message seemed to pass between the three of them as Buddy said artificially loud, "Annie, you don't look so good…"  
  
She blinked back at him and Jess before she slumped to the ground with her eyes closed and arm outstretched. Jess immediately began screaming her name as she knelt down beside her.  
  
"ANNIE, ANNIE WAKE UP! HELP, SOMEONE, GUARD, HELP!!"  
  
The guard strutted indifferently up to the cell door. "What the hell's the matter now?"  
  
Jess slid to the side so that the guard could get a glimpse of Annie lying stretched out on the cell floor. Buddy stood and glared pointedly at the guard, "She collapsed, and I don't think Jon's gonna be too happy that it happened on your watch."  
  
The guard immediately scrambled for his keys and threw the door open.   
  
"Outta the way!" he yelled, hauling Jess roughly to her feet and shoving her behind him as he knelt to examine Annie's prone form.  
  
At a nod from Buddy, Jess very carefully lifted the guard's knife sheath from the back of his gun belt. He never noticed Jess' soft touch, nor did he notice Annie's outstretched arm, or her fingers flexing ever so slightly. Buddy nodded again, and Jess knelt down and gently slipped the knife hilt into Annie's open palm. Just as the guard leaned closer to slap her awake, Annie's eyes snapped open with a furious look, and she buried the knife in the guard's thigh. Buddy quickly clapped his large hand over the guard's mouth before he could scream in pain and then pushed him to the ground.   
  
"Scream and you're a dead man," Buddy growled as Annie ripped the knife from the guard's thigh without hesitation. He then lifted his hand from the guard's lips and ordered, "Now give me the keys before I tell her to bury that knife in your heart."  
  
"She don't have the guts," retorted the guard with forced bravery as he watched Annie skillfully brandish the knife around.  
  
"Oh yeah? You better take a closer look pal…cause you got about ten seconds to decide…"  
  
The guard looked deeply into Annie's now completely cold eyes, remembering exactly who she was as she flipped the knife down blade first and placed it scant inches from his heart. He very quickly relinquished the keys to Buddy's control as Jess knelt down to smile viciously at him.  
  
"I think you deserve a little rest for helping us out," she sneered as she delivered a perfect chop to the junction of the guard's neck and shoulder, rendering him unconscious.  
  
"Nice touch," Buddy praised her, "but I could've handled it."  
  
"Save your strength." Neither of them recognized the strained voice as Annie's until they looked over to see her searching over the guard's sleeping person, standing up when she found nothing else useful. "You and Jess are going to need it to get out of here."  
  
"Whoa, wait a minute!" Buddy too straightened to his full height, albeit wobbly, as he unlocked the cell door and said, "What do you mean 'you and Jess'?"  
  
"Just what I said." The look of grim determination and utter detachment in Annie's eyes started to scare him a little, especially when she casually wiped off the bloody knife and slipped it into her boot. "You and Jess are getting the hell out of here, and I'm going to find Roxy."  
  
"Like hell you are! If anyone's going to look for Roxy, I am!" Buddy snapped back. _It's the least I can do, because I know what kind of a trade she made for me…_  
  
Annie really started to unnerve him as she smirked back at him, "Oh please, in your current state, you couldn't find your way out of a paper bag." She then looked over at Jess before her friend could open her mouth. "And don't even think about volunteering, because Buddy needs you to help lead him out of here. Besides, I'm the only one of us other than Roxy who has the best chance of surviving if I get caught. Not that I'm looking forward to such an existence…"  
  
"Have you completely lost your mind?!" Jess exclaimed, wondering what suddenly happened to her old friend. "Think about what you're saying, Annie!"  
  
"I know exactly what I'm saying, Jess, because I already said it. We all go home, or nobody goes home, and none of us are getting anywhere by sitting here and arguing about it. Besides, you're taking the whole situation out of context," Annie's green eyes turned dark as she used Jess' words against her. "Look at it this way, if I don't come back, you'll have your father all to yourself again."  
  
"I'd gladly share him with with you, if I don't have to tell yours what happened to you. Be careful, Annie."


	20. Chapter 20

Daddy's Girls: Chapter 20

Author's Notes: The suspense has built up so far, but the climatic ending is just beginning! Will the MASK team arrive in time to rescue Buddy and the girls from the evil clutches of VENOM? Keep reading and reviewing!

Under the stunned looks of both Jess and Buddy, Annie darted out the open door without saying anything and quickly disappeared down the hallway without looking back. Part of her regretted her harsh words to her best friend, and part of her didn't really care at this point. She let the matter drop for the moment and tried to concentrate on how to find Roxy and get her the hell out of here. She backtracked along the path she had memorized from Mayhem's office, hoping that at the very least, there might be some important information inside. Annie froze at the sound of footsteps, and then quickly dove into a darkened corridor as two Contra World soldiers passed right by her.  
  
"Just came from the infirmary," commented the first guard, "almost feel sorry for that little girl they got infected…"  
  
"Well, you ain't gonna be sorry when the dough starts rollin' in," replied the second guard. "Besides, I'd watch what you say 'bout that girl…I hear she's real close with the boss' son."  
  
Annie pondered their words carefully as she waited for the coast to clear. I_t almost sounds like Roxy sold us out again, but then why would they infect her too? It doesn't make any sense, but then again, nothing about her ever does._ Annie sighed deeply. _Like this wasn't going to be hard enough…  
_  
She took one last glance around the corner to be safe and took off in the direction the guards had come from, hoping the infirmary wasn't that far into the compound. She noticed that the saturation of guards lessened in this area, there were only a few scattered here and there. _Maybe I'm getting close…they probably figure that anyone who is that sick isn't worth worrying about_… Annie turned one last corner and finally saw her objective. The main doors of the hospital ward were thankfully already open so she darted inside and looked around carefully for any sign of Roxanne. At the same moment that she caught sight of Roxy lying on a bed in the far corner, she heard more footfalls echoing outside the infirmary. She barely had enough time to scramble to her knees and squeeze under an empty bed before she saw Sly Rax enter the room.   
  
_If he sees me, I'm dead. Oh shit…_"How you holding up kid?" Rax asked as he hovered over a barely awake Roxanne.  
  
"I…I have had be…better days." She weakly stuttered out.  
  
"Yeah I know," He calmly replied pulling up a chair, "Well Dr. Rax is here to patch you up."  
  
Roxanne made an attempt to laugh at his remark, but the laugh came out more like a cringe of pain.  
  
"Easy now, we don't want to strain yourself further," he remarked as he grabbed her left hand to observe the gash. "That doesn't look good. You shouldn't of cut it so deep."  
  
Even thought Annie remain hidden she found herself craving to take a peek. _What is he talking about? Is she infected or did she stab herself?_  
  
"I'll be sure to talk to Annie Oakley about the proper procedures if I ever see her again." Roxanne jokingly replied.  
  
_Oh now she's making fun of me on purpose!_ Annie's nose wrinkled slightly as her nerves were pricked, but then a flash of worry crossed her face. _I wonder if she can see me?_  
  
"Alright Roxy. I'm not going to lie to you, it's going to hurt like hell."  
  
"It's not like I'm not feeling that right now," She weakly grumbled out.  
  
"I can't give you anything for the pain, because any sort of sedative is gonna speed up the virus reaction."  
  
"Isn't that peachy…can't we just do this tomorrow? Cause if I don't make it. It's not like its gonna matter."  
  
The look on Rax's face clearly told her 'no.' Roxanne turned her head as Rax put on surgical gloves and started to sew up the wound.  
  
All Annie could hear was Roxanne crying as thought she was a 6 year old screaming bloody murder. She covered her ears as it brought back the horrors she had endured in Venice. It's hard to forget Roxy being taken away and the fear of following her. Her screams were so horrific that she nearly wanted to pass out. _This is different Annie get a hold of yourself_. Before she knew it the screaming and crying had stop.  
  
Rax wrapped her hand up with a bandage and threw his gloves away. "All over with," He grabbed a tissue and wiped up her tears. "I'd give ya lollypop for being brave, but we got to save those for Dagger."   
  
This time she didn't find comfort in his humor. Roxanne clenched her eyes shut, as she felt her entire body being stabbed from the inside.   
  
"I swear I wasn't for this idea," he remarked watching her body tremor through another round of pain, " but somebody had to do it. I promise you Roxy the first chance I get I'll grab that antidote. I'm not gonna see my girl suffer like this."  
  
"No," She weakly cried out.  
  
"What do you mean no?" Rax spoke as thought he was hurt, "You like suffering? Haven't you forgotten the most important rule I've taught you? Always look out for yourself."  
  
Annie's eyes widen as she heard another set of footsteps entered the room.  
  
"Rax we have a situation developing, we need you." A soldier replied as he saluted Rax.  
  
"Oh for crying out loud, can't you see that I'm busy?"  
  
"It's urgent."  
  
"We're not done with this Roxy. So you better rest up and try to relax. I'll check in on you later." Rax gave her a light pat on the shoulder and exited the room with the soldier.  
  
The moment the two men left the room Annie crawled out of from under the bed. She stood there shaking her head, as she viewed the pathetic sight of Roxanne. "What did you sell out this time Roxy?"  
  
She turned her head towards the voice, "Vanessa?"  
  
"Oh now you've really insulted me." She moved closer and hovered directly over Roxanne, so she could get a good look at the anger expressed all over her face.  
  
"Oh…it's you Annie. You escaped? Or am I really losing it?"  
  
"I'd say both options. You want to tell me what the heck is going on?"   
  
"I don't see what your…your bitching about uhhh…. thought you of all people would be happy. I'm laying here dying and he's alive. He is alive right?"  
  
"Yes…Buddy is weak, but alive. Him and Jess should be finding away out. That's exactly what we should be doing.  
  
Roxanne turned her head away from Annie as thought she was disgusted with herself, "I'm not going."  
  
"Like hell you aren't! I don't care if I have to drag you out of here. I told you that we're all going to leave together," Annie made an attempt to force Roxanne out of bed, but quickly realized she was dead weight.  
  
"I'm infected Annie…I can't go anywhere until Jon gives me that antidote."  
  
Annie hit the bed feeling like things just got more complicated, "Why…why did he infect you? I thought you were friends with that scum."  
  
"You…would…never…" Her voice trembled and tears began to fall down her face, "understand. Now get out of here before you…" She curled up into a ball and started crying out in pain.   
  
Annie felt an overwhelming urge to argue with her, but she wasn't willing to kick her while she was down. Even if the thought amused her.  
  
"Please Annie leave me alone…escape."  
  
"That ain't gonna happen," Annie proudly remarked, "I'll be back….I promise you that. And I'll have your antidote." Before Roxy could utter another word, Annie left her bedside on her new quest.  
  
"We need to go back," Buddy insisted to Jess.  
  
"What exactly do you think you can do Buddy? You can barely walk with out running into the wall." Jess responded with sarcasm.   
  
The three of them had only been separated for a few minutes and already Annie's point was made perfectly clear to Buddy. No matter how many times he insisted to Jess he was fine, his body would say otherwise. His muscles felt weak and the occasional dizzy spell would hit him. If it wasn't for his arm around Jess's shoulder giving him support, he'd probably crash and burn on the floor. "I know Jess. I'm worried."  
  
"So am I," She admitted, "but I believe in Annie and your just going to have to do the same. You know something not right."  
  
"Yeah I know," Buddy looked around, "It's too quite…it's like nobody's around."  
  
"You'd think somebody would have realized we're missing by now."  
  
"Let's still take it slow…just for a precaution. If we jump a head of ourselves, we could run into trouble."  
  
Neither Buddy nor Jess knew the exact time of day or how long they had been on their way, but from the position of the descending sun, Buddy figured it was roughly an hour now. And Jess hadn't stopped for one second nor had she shifted his weight to the other shoulder.  
  
"Gotta say, sweetie," Buddy said weakly, "you're much stronger than you look."  
  
"Why thank you...you're much heavier than you look. As soon as we're home, I'll convince Sunny and Julio to put you on a diet."  
  
"It's not fat, it's all muscle!" Buddy protested with a wink.  
  
Jess snorted. "Yeah, right, and the pope is a Buddhist." Suddenly, she stopped dead in her tracks. "You hear anything?"  
  
Frowning, Buddy concentrated on the sounds around them. "If it means something sounding much like vehicles approaching our position… then the answer is yes."  
  
Jess could feel her heart beat faster. If those vehicles were VENOM's, they were as good as dead. She knew she couldn't run with Buddy's additional weight, but leaving him was not an option. Knowing she had no time to hide, Jess lead Buddy to some bushes and gently let him down.   
  
"You stay here, I'll be right back."  
  
"Jess, what are you... Jess!"  
  
Ignoring Buddy, Jess stepped back into the middle of the road and broke off the heels of her boots for a better stance… and for two sharp weapons. Holding them just like Jacques and Gloria had told her, she prepared for the arrival of the vehicles… and dropped them the moment a familiar orange jeep, a similarly colored pick-up, and a white Lotus stopped in front of her. Jess almost started crying when Dusty climbed out of Gator's driver's seat.  
  
"Hey Miss, are you…" He broke off as he noticed Buddy stumbling out of the brushes half naked. "YOU!"  
  
"Dusty..." Jess tried to intervene, but Dusty didn't listen. He stormed towards Buddy, grabbed him by the shoulders and started to shake him violently. "WHERE IS SHE? WHERE'S MY LITTLE GIRL?"  
  
Apparently the worry in Dusty's voice startled Jess for a moment. She had never thought that her father would be so worried about her.   
  
"Leave him alone, please!" she yelled.   
  
"Miss, I appreciate your concern for my friend's well-being and I thank you for your help, but stay out of this!" Turning his attentions back to Buddy, Dusty continued shaking him. "SPEAK UP! WHERE… IS… JESSIE??"   
  
"Right here, Daddy," Jess yelled and grabbed his arm. "Stop shaking Buddy, he's sick." She looked at Dusty with tears in her eyes. For a second, MASK's resident cowboy was totally stunned as the information slowly sank in.   
  
"J-Jessie?" He stammered and grabbed her in a bear hug, a few tears running over his cheeks. Jess clung onto his neck for dear life. "Are you alright?" he whispered into the hair, gently stroking the back of her head.  
  
"Yes, but Buddy needs help."  
  
"Already on it," Hondo said from his position next to Buddy, who was vomiting his insides out.  
  
With a relieved sigh, Dusty let go of his daughter. It was only then that he realized what little clothing she wore.   
  
"Wha-wha-what are you wearing??"  
  
"Clothes?" Jess didn't try to pretend being innocent. She just watched her father's lips moving, but never heard a sound coming out between them. While Dusty stared in shock at Jess, Gloria quickly wiped the tears from her eyes and walked over to them.   
  
"Are you okay, Jess?" she asked her niece, trying to maintain a calm, neutral tone.   
  
"Yeah, but Buddy needs a doctor and Annie and Roxy are in big trouble. We gotta go and help them, fast."  
  
"Okay, Hondo, you take Jess and Buddy back to Boulderhill."  
  
"No," Jess protested. "I'm coming with you."  
  
Hondo, supporting Buddy now, stepped in. "Forget about that, missy you're coming home with us."  
  
"I can't leave Annie and Roxy. Do you know how to get into that building?" No answer. "Thought so. Buddy and I escaped through a passageway we could use to enter the building without being noticed. But I have to show you the way."  
  
Hondo and Gloria exchanged glances, as thought they were debating the idea, but idea was quickly forgotten once Rhino showed up with Firefly and Thunderhawk circling overhead. Alex poked his head out the window, "What's the hold up gang?"  
  
"We manage to come across two of our missing persons," Hondo responded pointing Jess and Buddy out to him.  
  
"Ah that's wonderful…Matt will be glad to hear that…where are the other two girls?"  
  
"Still inside," Jess eagerly jumped in, "I know how to get in! We have to hurry there's no telling what sort of trouble their in."  
  
"You just got out of that place and your rather eager to get back in."  
  
"You know it, anything to help a friend out."  
  
Alex goes silent as he has a conversation over the radio, then looks directly at Jess, "Alight you can come as long as your stay in Rhino's computer room."  
  
"But I need to show you guys where…"  
  
"You can communicate to us over the radio my dear, the last thing we want to do is put you in any more danger. It's either that or you can head back to base. That clear?"  
  
"As cocoa. Come on, let's go."   
  
While Hondo helped Buddy to Firecracker, Gloria and Jess walked to Rhino and Shark, as they remembered something. Quickly, Gloria strode back to where Dusty was still standing shell-shocked, staring into nothingness. She grabbed him by the elbow.  
  
"Come on, Dus… we got a job to do." Still a bit stunned, Dusty followed his ex-partner to the cars.  
  
"Did you see how much cleavage she was showing?"  



	21. Chapter 21

Daddy's Girls: Chapter 21

Author's Notes: Well, the calvalry is on it's way, but will they be in time to save Annie and Roxanne? What foul tricks does VENOM have in store. Read on to find out! :)

"Unbelievable, how the hell did they manage to figure this one out?" Rax muttered under his breath from Piranha.  
  
"Well I think the problem is," Nash started to point out over the radio from his ready combat station Outlaw, "nobody put a cork in the leak."  
  
"Leak what leak?" Cliff Dagger shouted with insult, "I check those vehicles twice nothing was leaking."  
  
"You idiot we're talking about information leak," Bruno explained. "This base has been home since we lost our Nevada hide out, and now we're gonna have to move again. I hate moving."  
  
"Do I have to remind you who's responsible for losing our last hide out?" Nash reminded, "She's laying in a bed not to far from here. If you ask me that's not a coincidence."  
  
"You know Gory if you got something to say...say it and don't hide behind riddles. All ya ever did was blame that kid just like Mayhem…when in fact it was Mayhem's little pride and joy who got us in this situation to begin with. He's the one who lead trouble in our direction and failed to cover his own damn tracks."  
  
"I'd say somebody just a little peeved his little girl in the infirmary." Nash joked openly.  
  
"You know your this close to going there yourself," Sly Rax snapped. "He lets that maniac son of his roam free as if he owns everything."  
  
"MASK will own everything if you continue to stand there and play in the sand!" Mayhem barked over the radio having just caught the last bit of the conversation.  
  
"I figure why waste gas since it's becoming precious as gold."  
  
"Quit lounging around! I need MASK distracted to perform a full-scale evacuation. I'm giving you more men to put out among the parameter. We just might be able to salvage some of our operations, if you give us enough time.   
  
"Alright if that's what you want…you'll get it."  
  
"Another thing, "Mayhem continued, "I hear anymore crap about my son, you'll be seeing down the barrel of my shot gun."  
  
"Yeah whatever," Rax took it as an empty threat coming from a senile old man. It won't be too long before he checks into a retirement home.  
  
"Dusty get a hold yourself!" Gloria shouted over the radio as her ex-partner and brother-in-law gunned Gator's engine and headed straight toward the waiting enemy.  
  
"These bastards have gone too far! Nobody, I mean nobody kidnaps my little girls and gets away with it." Clouds of dust blasted into the air behind Gator, as it sped ahead to reach the action first. "Last one there gonna have to clean my grill with a toothbrush!" Dusty hollered with a quick 'Yeehaw.'  
  
"Got an easy target at 3:00 for ya Dagger," Mayhem mentioned from a hovering switchblade, as he noticed the lone agent breaking away from his safety net.  
  
"Which way it 3 o'clock….oh never mind I see the orange thing coming right at me."  
  
"Thank goodness it's a bright color we wouldn't want ya heading the other way," Rax grumbled, before leading Piranha behind Jackhammer and staying directly in its shadow.  
  
"Hey quick mocking me Rax," Cliff Dagger protested as a hurt child, "It won't take much to turn my guns around and knock you out of the game first."  
  
"So ya decided to tango with me?" Dusty noted noticing Jackhammer heading straight for him, "After some electric ouch we'll see how well you'll be dancing," Dusty said as he activated the atom blaster on gator's roll bar.   
  
The shot bounced off Jackhammer's windshield the moment the hood slid over to protect the driver. Cliff Danger laugh and stuck his head out the window, "That was interesting, but lets see how ya do with some fire, Torch on!" Fire erupted from his mask and blazed towards Gator. Dusty took a sharp turn to the right to avoid the heat, but was soon to be surprise by Piranha emerging from Jackhammer's shadow.  
  
"What the heck!" Dusty yammered in shock.  
  
"Stiletto on!" Rax shouted as he passed Gator's driver side. One stiletto dart bounced off the jeep and fell to the ground the second dart stabbed right into Dusty's arm.  
  
"Uhhh!" Dusty shouted as he felt the sharp dart pierced his skin. He continued to drive Gator knowing all to well he was surrounded. "You got to do more then that to stop me partner."  
  
Jess watch in horror from Rhino computer room, "DAD! Somebody…somebody help him!"  
  
"Jess we need you to concentrate on remembering the entry point for the base," Alex reminded, "Don't worry we got your father's back."  
  
Jess slammed her fist on the computer console and bit her lip. It was too hard to concentrate on remembering, after seeing her father already getting injured._ Dad don't get yourself killed, there's so much I want to tell you._ A few tears trickled down her face that she quickly dried. _Get yourself together girl you have friends to save._  
  
Shark approach Jackhammer drawing Dagger's attention with its machine guns, while Thunderhawk swooped down low to offer cover to gator, by fire its lasers on Piranha. Rax started to back away as he maneuvered the on coming attack, but Switchblade took the opportunity to introduce itself.   
  
"Try this one on for size," Mayhem gloated as he fired a torpedo missile directly at Thunderhawk. The red Camaro notice the missile and pulled the nose of the vehicle up quickly to dodge. As Thunderhawk soared towards the sky the missile continued to follow determine to destroy its target. A bomb was then release from the bottom of Thunderhawk and fell directly on the missile instantly destroying it.  
  
"Blast it! You got lucky with that one, but the next one won't miss!" Mayhem cursed, but before he could fire a second missile Firefly flew in between the two bitter rivals firing its tripod laser ray.   
  
The massive confusion didn't end, but only worsen once Rhino started to activate its smoke screen. The battlefield was covered in layers of thick black smoke only allowing airborne combatants to see.  
  
"You think that old trick gonna stop me from up here." Mayhem snorted firing his machine guns on firefly.  
  
"I do expect this to confuse you," Julio responded as he activated his prism beam launchers.  
  
Mayhem screamed slightly as he felt disorientated by the bright light. Switchblade started to head straight towards the ground. Yet Mayhem quickly reacted and converted the jet back to a helicopter to regain control.   
  
Completely unaware of the cavalry's arrival, Annie continued making her way down the hallways of ContraWorld's Headquarters, heading back toward Mayhem's personal office. It was the only logical storage place for the virus and antidote. But she couldn't help feeling that something wasn't right… even if she did overhear the soldier tell Rax that there was a situation developing, she should have seen at least a few ContraWorld soldiers milling about. So far, she hadn't seen any. _It shouldn't be this easy,_ Annie thought as she ducked into an open doorway, peering cautiously around the frame for any signs of pursuit. It reminded her of all the times she and Cody had played their version of 'tag' in the mountains. Just when she would think she was home free, he'd jump out of nowhere and tackle her to the ground, dashing off to continue the game. This was almost the same, except in this case getting caught meant game over. She took one last glance and heaved a small sigh of relief. _So far, so good, I'm almost there. _  
  
A tingle at the back of Annie's neck made her look again, and she pulled her head back into the doorway of her hiding spot as a Contraworld guard stepped out of Mayhem's office, leaving the door wide open. She prayed for her luck to hold as the soldier headed in the opposite direction. As soon as he was out of sight, she rushed into the open doorway with all the speed and stealth she had been taught by the Rangers. She stopped short when she saw the two vials lying on Mayhem's desk, in a silver case that was also conveniently wide open. Bells of alarm rang out violently in Annie's mind. _This is waaayyyy too convenient…_ But even as she had the thought, she found herself cautiously yet deftly wrapping the vials up in a nearby cloth, gripping them firmly but gently as she turned to leave.  
  
The sound of a cocked rifle blocked her exit, along with the angry Contraworld soldier that was holding it. "Drop those vials, NOW!" He ordered in an irate snarl.  
  
"I really don't think the boss would be too pleased if I dropped these right now," Annie retorted, feeling oddly calm despite the fact that she was staring down a loaded rifle barrel. Then she added tauntingly as she gave the vials a little shake, "And he's really not going to be happy if you shoot me…I'm off limits, remember?"  
  
"It'll be too late by the time he finds what's left of ya…now gimme those vials before I blow ya into next week!"  
  
"You want them so badly…CATCH!"  
  
"What the hell is taking so long!?!" Vanessa snapped, muttering to herself as she stormed around the curve in the hallway and approached Mayhem's office. "If that fat slob had just let me go get the vials in the first place instead of sending one of those useless and incompetent soldiers and wasting my time…"  
  
Vanessa's rant choked off mid-sentence the minute she saw the soldier standing in the open doorway of Mayhem's office with a rifle trained on her daughter. Angrily and without hesitation, she drew her pistol and stepped up stealthily behind him.  
  
Annie mimed as though she was going to throw the vials at him, hoping to catch the soldier off guard. Instead, she caught a bullet that ripped through her shoulder and sent her sprawling as the guard fired his rifle. Annie curled up into a ball as a second shot rang out, risking a glance only when she heard the sound of a second body hitting the floor. She looked up to see Vanessa standing over the now dead soldier, holding a smoking pistol as she stared down haughtily at his unmoving body. For a moment, Annie thought she saw a flash of worry cross Vanessa's eyes as her attention focused on her daughter, but it was very quickly replaced by her usual frigid aura.  
  
"Get up!" Vanessa ordered her icily.  
  
Pain and shock from her bullet wound, as well as the scene she just witnessed held Annie immobile. Vanessa stalked over to her, and noting the vials in her left hand, yanked her to her feet by her wounded right arm. Annie yelped in pain as Vanessa gave her another harsh shove out the door.  
  
"Get moving!" Vanessa snapped as she turned her back and holstered her pistol.  
  
Annie didn't waste Vanessa's opening by arguing as she sprinted away toward what she hoped was the path back to the infirmary. Pain jolted up and down her shoulder as she ran, making her confused and disoriented, and she could already feel shock setting in from the blood loss. Her vision blurred, but she forced herself to push onward, praying that she was headed in the right direction. Her eyes focused just enough that she could see the open doors to the medical ward just ahead, but then they betrayed her by turning everything gray. Her legs gave out at the same time, sending her crashing to her knees against the wall just outside of the hospital area. Annie's hearing seemed to be the only sense that was unaffected as her ears picked up the sound of approaching footsteps. She ignored the excruciating pain slamming up her arm as she drew the hidden knife from her boot while she knelt. _He would've…had to shoot…my throwing…arm…_ Annie told her unwilling legs to shut up and hold her weight as she forced her uncooperative mind to focus, then she let the knife fly the minute the shadowy figure turned the corner.  
  



	22. Chapter 22

Daddy's Girls Chapter 20:

Author's Note: You all get a two chapter update today, one for each week I'll be on vacation. Will Roxanne and Annie be rescued? Will the MASK team save the day? Find out in the next chapter(s)! Keep reading and reviewing!

Matt Trakker padded carefully toward the hallway junction, having already heard footsteps from that direction. He flattened himself against the wall as he heard the sound of something hitting the ground, pausing only momentarily before taking a few more tentative steps forward. When no other sounds issued forth, he continued walking and cautiously stepped out into the next corridor.

Suddenly he ducked as a long knife sailed through the air unerringly toward where his left shoulder would have been if he hadn't moved. It instead clanged harmlessly to the ground as Matt rolled to his hands and knees to get a good look at his assailant. Shock set in first, followed quickly by surprise and then relief as he saw the redheaded girl leaning against the wall across from him, arm still extended from her throw.

"Annie!" Matt shouted as he leapt to his feet and ran toward her. _Apparently I startled her just as much as she surprised me. _He yelled her name again when she didn't give him any sort of acknowledgment.

"ANNIE!"

Annie became convinced her hearing was gone too when she thought she heard someone saying her name. Her other senses had long since deserted her, turning everything a grayish-white that bordered on black as everything started to fade, except for that voice. Only sheer stubborn force of will kept her on her feet until a pair of strong hands gripped her shoulders. She caught a blurry glimpse of red on gray as she finally looked up and realized who was in front of her.

"M—Matt?"

He nodded, eyes widening behind his Spectrum mask as he noticed the blood covering her sweater, as well as the reason behind it. "My god, Annie, you're bleeding...you've been shot! What happened?! Where's Roanne?!"

"Th—They infected Ro—Roxy..." Annie's pulled one of Matt's arms off her shoulders and pushed the cloth wrapped vials into his outstretched hand. "H—He shot me when I s—stole the virus and...an—antidote. You...you have to g-get those to...to her...in the in—infirm...infirmary..."

Her legs simply wouldn't support her anymore, but Matt easily caught her falling body in his free arm and held her tightly as her eyes fluttered closed.

"Annie..." he shook her gently, hoping to try to keep her awake.

Her eyes opened halfway as she looked up at him and made one final request. "Tell my dad that I love him..."

From the opposite corridor, Matt caught a glimpse of yellow and pink out of the corner of his eye. "You'll be able to tell him yourself in just a moment..."

Annie knew she wasn't going to last that long, but she had one more thing she needed to say. "...Tell Scott I love him too..."

As soon as they had infiltrated the base, Brad and Matt had split up in the hopes of at least one of them finding the girls. Brad hoped Matt had better luck, because so far he hadn't seen anyone but the very occasional soldier. Brad stopped and listened as he heard someone approaching from the other hallway and breathed a sigh of relief as Matt's voice carried over to him. He headed toward the sound of his friend's voice, then broke into an all out run as his ears picked up the sound of an oh so familiar female voice. He sprinted down the hall and turned sharply, just in time to see his little girl collapse into Matt's arms.

Brad stood at Matt's side within two more heartbeats. Without hesitation, Matt gently transferred Annie into her father's arms before Brad could utter a word. Brad's face turned pale beneath Hocus Pocus as he examined Annie's bullet wound and immediately felt for her pulse. It beat slow and steady, but that could change if they didn't do something about the blood loss and resulting shock.

"She told me Roxanne was infected by the virus," Matt offered by way of short explanation, again before Brad could open his mouth to speak. "Apparently Annie took it upon herself to steal the virus and antidote back from Contra World and took a bullet for the effort."

Brad's grip tightened protectively around his daughter as he cussed inwardly. "Damn that stubborn streak..."

"Brad," Matt warned calmly and urgently, "we don't have time to debate this. It looks like we're already outside the infirmary, let's just hurry up and get the girls out of here."

"That's assuming we can...get out of here, that is," Brad intoned ominously.

Matt ignored his commentary and the two men wasted no more time on conversation. As they entered the infirmary, Matt immediately rushed over to Roxanne's bedside. His heart felt weak the moment he glanced at his fragile daughter trembling like a stroke victim. Her eyes were closed, but Matt knew she wasn't sleeping. She was clearly suffering from the inside and was trying not to cry any further. "Roxanne, daddy's here to take you home," He calmly remarked as he put a gentle reassuring hand on her arm.

"Daddy?" Her eyes half crack open to a blur in front of her, as sweat dripped down her face, "Water..."

"Alright," Matt reached over for a water bottle and placed it to her lips.

Roxanne knocked it away, "Water's bad...kill people." She starts to whine, "I'm sorry.... so sorry"

Brad could hear bits and pieces of their conversation, but rather than interrupt, he decided to use the opportunity to quickly bandage Annie's wound with the supplies he found lying around. After laying her gently on one of the nearby beds, he carefully ripped off the sleeve to her sweater and placed some gauze pads over the entry and exit point. He took some comfort that the bullet wasn't lodged in her shoulder as he tightly wrapped the gauze in place. Finally, he ripped up a pillowcase and immobilized her right arm in a makeshift sling to help insure no other damage would be caused. As an afterthought, he grabbed a spare blanket and wrapped her in it to hopefully help ease the shock. He then lifted her head up to rest against his shoulder as he sat down on the bed beside her.

"I swear, Annie," Brad muttered softly as he pushed a piece of hair away from her cheek, "you've given me more gray hairs in six months than you have in almost seventeen years." He almost hoped she might reply, but when he didn't get one, he simply sighed and stroked her hair as he looked over toward Matt and Roxanne. "Stay with me, baby..."

"What are you talking about?" Matt looked into Roxanne glassy eyes unable to make heads or tails of her nonsense. _My god she's delusional. _

Roxanne was trying to warn her father, but she couldn't think straight. The words just wouldn't come out of her mouth, instead she groaned out in pain and frustration.

Matt took off his glove and ran his hand over her head, "I'm sorry honey...I know your trying to tell me something." Worry continued to spread over his face as his hand felt like it was on fire just by contacting her skin. _It's just as bad as the readings I'm getting from Spectrum. She has a high fever, no wonder she's disorientated. _He pulled out the vials Annie had given him._ One of these is the antidote, but which one? I can't risk making a mistake. If I pick the wrong one it could kill her. _"Roxy...I have the antidote, but I don't know which one. So I'm not going to be able to give it to you, until Alex determine which one...you understand?"

Her bandage left hand rose towards the vials, "Virus..."

Matt gently grabbed her hand, "Yes I know your infected, but..."

"In...Water...People....Sick...uhhh....Die...Die....marrow...." Tears fell down her face, as she slowly muttered out each word.

Her father still starred down at her puzzled; in fact he looked to Brad who also couldn't decipher what she was saying. Roxanne grew more agitated with frustration and started to breath harder as thought she was having difficulty breathing.

"Calm down," He order in a soft soothing voice, "Your saying the water going to make people sick." She nods. "They'll die from it...marrow...tomorrow?"

"I think she's saying the virus is in some sort of water supply?" Brad interrupted wanting the guessing game to end.

"I was just gonna say that," Matt smirked, then turned back to his daughter, "Alright I understand, but we have to get you out of here first." Matt looked over to Brad, "How's Annie doing?"

"The sooner we leave the better. I've managed to stop the blood loss."

"Good then lets get going, we've wasted enough time here." Matt threw back the covers on the bed and slowly pulled Roxanne's zombie body upwards. She groaned slightly as her father forced her to sit upright. "I know your in pain...but try to do your best not to make any noise, hopefully we'll get out without being notice." Roxanne dazedly nodded as she locked her arms around her father's neck, he then swooped his hands under her back and legs and lifted her up. Matt could feel the moisture already soaking through his uniform, and he was having second thoughts about moving her.

"What's on your mind?" Brad asked noticing Matt starring long and hard at his daughter.

"She has a fever of 109 and it isn't going down anytime soon. Maybe it's best if you escape alone."

"What are you out of your mind Trakker? What are you going to do wait for VENOM to come back capture you and let you both die together?"

"I can't help her Brad. I could very well kill her by taking her out of this room. It won't take much in her condition. For once I don't have all the answer, I don't know what to do."

"Dad..." Roxanne voice cracked, "I want to go home."

Brad smiled lightly as he picked up Annie in his arms, "I think you just got your answer."


	23. Chapter 23

Daddy's Girls: Chapter 21

No significant notes, just keep reading and reviewing

The two agents rushed down the halls with their daughters in their arms, but once they reached the hallway's interception point their escape was halted. They could hear a group of solider heading in their direction. The two men looked around for a place to hide, but there was nothing but long corridors in each direction

"What is it with bad guys and having a maze full of endless tunnels under their compounds with no place to hide?" Matt asked with humor in his tone.

"I don't know you got me, but speaking of long tunnels. How about we make this one longer for them. Hocus Pocus on!" Brad projected an image of a wall in front of them. "As long as they don't touch it we'll be fine."

Lester Sludge made his way down the corridor with several Contra World soldiers following behind him. "Unbelievable! I can't believe you lost a sick guy who can barely walk and two little girls. And my uncle says I'm incompetent."

One of the soldiers limped down the hallway rubbing his head, "Wait til I slit that little red head throat. I ain't gonna let her get away with this!"

"Yeah well Mayhem gonna slit your throat if you don't find her. We're suppose to be evacuating, and we're wasting valuable time by search for them." Lester halted at the interception and looked around, "That's funny I could of sworn their was another hallway here that lead to the infirmary?" He starred in a complete daze, as his eyes remain transfixed upon the wall. He moved closer ready to touch the wall, as if he thought it was an illusion.

Both Matt and Brad could hear their hearts pounding loudly with fear that they wondered if Lester could hear it as well. The anticipation of being caught continued to run high the closer he got to the false wall.

The soldiers glanced to one another thinking Lester had lost his mind. One of the soldiers spoke up. "You lost sir?"

"No I'm not lost private," He allow the confusion to drift from his face, and he turned around to face his men taking a more commanding tone, "You men get moving and search every high and low spot there is. I want them found!" After the men took off he just remain there dumbfounded. He pace back'n forth as though something wasn't right, "I know I came down this way I can't be losing my mind. We'll Unc' did tell me to lay off the coke, but I've been clean for almost 12 hours."

The two MASK agents remained still and watch nervously as Lester continued to bicker about his own sanity, behind the holographic wall. It gotten to the point that Lester had given up on his memory and took a few steps forward, until he heard a small groan.

Matt's attention drifted downwards towards his daughter as she tighten her grip around him and buried her head into his chest. Deep down he knew it hurt the tears flowing down her face had told him everything. The next thing he knew she was biting down hard on his uniform not to utter a sound, but a few muffled grunts escaped her lips that she couldn't conceal.

"Whose there?" Lester jump to attention after catching the faint sound. His eyes shifted back to the same wall that drew his suspicion. Pulling the gun from his hilt, he cautiously approached the wall.

Matt and Brad knew they could take Lester with no hesitation under normal circumstances, but their daughters rested in their arms. Neither was willing to let go of their little girl for even a second.

Lester raised his voice even if he wasn't sure his hunch was right, "Drop the illusion! I know your there somewhere if I have too I'll shoot all over the place 'til I hit you."

By Matt's nod, Brad dropped the illusion to reveal their secret.

"I knew it! See and Unc' said I wasn't smart to catch one of ya, but I caught two," He quickly regain his composure to sound more professional, and held the gun directly on Brad.

"Alright Lester you caught on to our little trick," Matt humbly commended, "I doubt we could talk this over and be rational about the situation."

"Rational? Those two are Contra World property that you're stealing. I'm gonna get a hefty promotion for bring you two in."

"They don't belong to Contra World!" Brad snapped back with anger, "Cause their our daughters, you have NO RIGHT TO TAKE THEM FROM US!"

"We're Contra World we take what ever the hell we feel like it! Turn around and get moving!"

"You know Lester we wasted enough time as is, so your going to let us by or face the consequences."

"Oh please what the heck do ya think your going to do to me, your arms are full and my gun on your buddy. Your not stupid enough to risk that."

"Your right Lester," Matt said with disappointment, "Spectrum ON!" A laser beam erupted from his mask spectrum and hit the gun.

Lester instantly dropped his gun as his hand felt like it was on fire, "OUCH!"

"Next time I'll go for a leg," Matt threatened in a dark tone. Lester's eyes widen and he rush off down the corridor. "We better hurry it won't take long before he brings back up." Without another word exchanged between them, they both made haste towards the exit.

There was a light at the end of the corridor that brought hope to a clean escape. Soon the exhausted girls would be resting peacefully in their own beds, under the protective watch of their fathers. But that assumption came up short, once the sounds of battle outside grew louder.

"They mustn't not been able to push VENOM back any further," Matt replied a bit disappointed.

"That isn't good," Brad noted halting before the manhole exit, "It's too dangerous to be dancing around like chickens on the battlefield, especially with more then one life at risk."

"Agreed," Matt gently set Roxanne on the ground, "I'm going to take a peek." The moment Matt poked his head up out of the manhole he couldn't believe his eyes. All the smoke had disappeared from early to reveal the chaos on the battlefield. Both Thunderhawk and Firefly were overtaking Switchblade.

"Blast it! I can't do anything with these two hot heads chasing me all over this blazing sky." Mayhem grumbled as he hit his control panel

"Don't worry about it Mayhem, sir I got it taken care of," Nash responded. "One fish on a hook coming up." The moment Firefly passed over head Outlaw, Nash launched its grappling hook onto Firefly's right wing. The rocket glider got violently yanked back by the force giving Julio a bad case of whiplash.

"What was that?" Julio looked around as his vehicle started to lose altitude and fall towards the ground.

Bruce did a quick 360 in Thunderhawk, once he noticed his friend was snagged on a line in his rearview mirror, "This is one fish you cannot have." The Camero's wing blasters fired upon the thick cable. A few shots missed the line, but only one shot was all he needed to snap the line. Even thought Outlaw no longer had its grip on Firefly, the rocket glider was falling at such force that Julio had no choice but to transform back into a dune buggy.

Sly Rax figured this was the perfect opportunity to strike. The driver would be too busy with the sudden transformation; he'd be unaware of his new surroundings. "Ya snapped the line...guess I'll have to chase after my fishing bate," Rax commended as Piranha's machineguns fired directly on Firefly.

"Maybe you should be reflecting about who is whose bate," Gloria retorted as she sped Shark up and rammed right into the back of Piranha.

The distraction of Shark's direct hit to Piranha gave Firefly enough time to cooperate from the surprise attack and transform back into a rocket glider and take flight.

"Hey now that isn't nice," Cliff Dagger noted as his reciprocating cannons hidden behind the drop down front grill starting figuring at Shark.

The chain of events continued to thicken the battle especially when Dusty's daring stunt driving kicked in, "Hold on darlin' this cowboy gonna save ya!"

Before Gator could make a move towards Shark and Jackhammer. Stinger's claw grabbed a hold of Gator's roll bar in a tight grip.

"Where ya think your going little man, I ain't finish with you yet!" Bruno shouted in between his wicked laugh. The claw lifted the orange jeep a few feet above the ground with its tires squealing like crazy. Dusty was still in the driver seat, but he appeared to be unconscious or maybe pinned to the seat. Either way he wasn't moving.

"Oh my god! DAD!" Jess scream from Rhino, "Alex we have to do something!"

"Already on it! Sit tight," Alex replied

Rhino attempted to aid Gator, but was blocked by a wall of missiles coming from Outlaw. "You think I'm going let you stop my buddy from turning your friend into last week trash, you got another thing coming," Nash giggled in a nerdy tone, as thought he was playing a video game from his control station.

"How bad is it?" Brad asked.

Looking back down the manhole Matt replied, "Its not looking good at this point. I'll signal to Bruce to come down. Spectrum on!" A bright light shot from Spectrum and straight into the sky.

"It's the signal," Bruce replied over the radio as he was being chased by Switchblade. Thunderhawk started to lose altitude.

"Don't worry I got Mayhem taken care of," Julio responded to his friend.

"Where the heck does he think he's going?" Mayhem mumbled with annoyance. "You can't get away from me that easy." Mayhem armed his rockets to fire, but before he could fire them he felt a powerful jerk to his plane from the back. Firefly was firing its tripod laser ray directly at Switchblade boosters. Once Mayhem regained his composure by the surprise attack, he couldn't tell where the red Camero went.

Thunderhawk landed just a few yards away from the manhole. Matt and Brad raced up across the desert with their daughters in their arms seeking shelter in Thunderhawk.

"Are they ok?" Bruce asked the moment he saw an unconscious Annie and deathly ill Roxanne.

"They'll be fine if we get them out of here," Matt hastily replied helping Roxanne into the back of Thunderhawk.

Once the girls were secured in the back Matt looked to Brad and forced the two vials into his hand, "Get in and get going. I don't want this car to turnaround for anything!"

"What where are you going?!" Brad jump back slightly surprised.

"Dusty's in trouble."

"Oh so you weren't going to mention that to me?" Brad replied slightly hurt his friend kept such vital information from him. "He's my friend too, I'm not going to sit here..."

"Brad you're the best man to ensure our girls get out of here. I'm not going to leave as long as I know my men are in jeopardy. I won't be able to live with myself leaving without even attempting to do something. I plan to pay Gorey a little visit, that should shift the luck on the field."

"I don't like it, but good luck," Brad pat Matt on the shoulder and got into the passenger seat of Thunderhawk.

Before Matt left he could hear his daughter whimpering in the back seat. More tears drifted down her face, "Don't...don't leave...me.... dad." A shaking arm reached out towards him trying to grab hold of him.

Matt ran his hand over her face to wipe away her tears, "Your in good hands. I'll see you back home. I promise. I love you darling, just stay strong for me."

Roxanne starred at him with glassy eyes. She understood what her father was doing, but she still wish he wasn't leaving. She closed her eyes still thinking of her father's words. _I'll see you back home...stay strong...I love you._

Brad turned around to take one final look at Annie before he steeled himself to get down to business. She lay curled up in the blanket he'd wrapped her in, still unmoving. He leaned over the front seat to find her pulse still beating steady although she looked deathly pale. He gave her cheek a gentle caress before directing his thoughts back to the problem at hand.

"Get moving NOW!" Matt ordered as he started to run towards Outlaw.

"Will do, take care Matt," Bruce replied as he lift Thunderhawk into the air, "A little cover?"

"You got it," Brad replied not so enthusiastic about Matt staying behind. "Hocus Pocus on!" None of the VENOM agents noticed the MASK vehicle getting away. In fact all they saw was a moving cloud.


	24. Chapter 24

Daddy's Girls: Chapter 24

Author's Notes: Sorry for the wait all, but after a long hiatus, the drama continues to unfold in the beginning of the climatic ending to our story. Will our heroes triumph over the evil forces of VENOM? Keep reading to find out!

"Somebody getting a little despite," Nash spoke to himself as he noticed Rhino attempting to use Smoke screen to hinder Nash's visual. "Unfortunately that ain't going to anything for you cause I got your heat signature on my radar. Bombs away!" He shouted as he launched another missile. Matt cautiously crept up to an unaware Nash Gorey.

Matt was ready to jump up behind Nash and toss Nash to the ground. Yet the simple plan of action was ruined the first few steps Matt took. Nash could hear the sound of boots crunching against the dirt. He turned around just in time to move out of the way to avoid Matt's oncoming punch.

"Miss me," He taunted, "You really think you can sneak up on me I have excellent hearing."

"My fault," Matt half-hardy joked, "I forgot you're a little weasel when it comes to getting out of a fight."

"Well see whose still standing when I'm done with you. POWER HOUSE ON!"

"Only a weasel would have to hide behind the powers of his own mask."

This enraged Nash. It wasn't the first time he had been teased about his mask ability to increase his strength. In fact there was many before matt he made eat those very words by stuffing them in small containers like little basketballs. Gorey lunged at Matt, but he quickly dodged by rolling away from his deadly grip.

"You maybe strong and smart Nash. I'll give you that, but you're slow on your feet." Matt replied as he broke into run towards the false old taker's vertical computer command center's ladder.

"Awww shit! Who said you could go up there!" Nash shouted as he chased after his enemy.

"I wonder what's up here?" Matt asked curiously.

"I'm gonna throw you off the top when I get up there. You got nowhere to go." By the time Nash reach the top of the oil tanker, Matt was just standing there as if he was casually waiting for Nash to meet him.

"Need to work on that time you're a minute in a half too slow."

"And I say you got no where else to go."

"Do I?" The MASK agent said a bit perplex just before he stepped off the edge of the oil taker. Nash rushed over to the edge expecting to see the agent splattered all over his vehicle, but instead the man glided through the air right toward his controls.

"YOU TRICKED ME!" He howled in raged. Nash hurried back to the ladder and gradually made his way down, but by then it was too late. Matt had reprogrammed outlaw's missile to strike Stinger's claw.

The claw snapped apart the moment the missile hit and let Gator fall to the ground. The orange jeep still stuck in gear sped forward the moment it touch the ground.

Miles Mayhem couldn't believe the amount of grief the small rocket glider was giving him as he valiantly tried to maneuver Switchblade to shake the pilot off his tail.

"I'm going to stick to you like glue, Mayhem!" Julio shouted as he followed closely behind the jet plane. "Hmm, glue...that gives me an idea," the doctor muttered to himself.

Julio slowed Firefly and dropped back, widening the distance between the rocket glider and Mayhem. Mayhem predictably leapt on the opening and quickly turned Switchblade around, targeting the retreating glider with his missile launchers as he menacingly advanced. Julio waited out Switchblade's approach until the last possible second while Mayhem cackled gleefully inside the jet's cockpit as he obtained a positive target lock on Firefly.

"I'm going to blow you out of the sky!" He shouted at his pesky pursuer.

At almost the same instant Mayhem fired, Julio put his plan into motion. "STREAMER ON!"

"AHH I CAN'T SEE!!!!"

The burst of sticky glue splattered unerringly onto Switchblade's windshield, blocking Mayhem's view of the battle below, causing him to send his missile significantly off course. It smashed violently into an already damaged Stinger, sending Bruno scurrying for cover and catching Jackhammer in the crossfire.

"Damnit Mayhem!" Rax shouted over the radio as he stopped harassing Shark in order to give Dagger and Bruno some cover, "ya tryin' to kill us too!?! Who the hell's side are you on?!"

Julio continued to pummel Switchblade's windshield with streamers of glue until a distracted Mayhem could no longer take the abuse and called a retreat. He converted the jet back into a helicopter and sped off, muttering curses furiously as he cleaned his front window. "Blast you MASK, this isn't over! You haven't seen the last of me!"

Knowing that they were sitting ducks without Switchblade to cover them, the other VENOM agents beat a hasty retreat from the battle scene as well. Julio laughed heartily as he transformed Firefly back into a dune buggy, stopping long enough to pick up a stranded Matt from where he'd taken cover amidst the rocks.

"I don't think Mayhem appreciated my stick-to-it-iveness," Julio quipped over the radio to the others.

"Yes, quite a bit of a sticky situation there old chap," Alex agreed from Rhino.

"How can you guys joke at a time like this!!!!!"

For once, Jess found she couldn't appreciate the humor as she watched her father's jeep careening out of control. She could see Gloria pacing him in the distance, but she knew that not even her aunt's trained stunt driving would be enough to save him. Before anyone could stop her, she leapt out of Rhino and detached the small ATV on the back, racing to her father's rescue.

"JESS! COME BACK HERE!" Alex yelled, but knew he couldn't abandon post now. He just hoped Jess would survive long enough so that he could strangle her.

'Okay', Jess thought. 'Let's see in those Advanced Physics class finally pays off.' Licking her lips, she switched on the comm line.

"Hey, 'Ria, you copy?"

"Jess, I'm kinda busy right now," Gloria forced out between clenched teeth. "I don't have time."

"I know, but you check your rear view mirror."

Much to her own surprise, Gloria did what her niece suggested and noticed Rhino's ATV slightly left of Gator's backside. "Oh no, don't tell me you're riding the ATV, Jess."

"Okay, I won't but I have an idea to stop Gator and I need your help for this."

"I think I know what you plan." She sighed. "Okay, I'm with you... it's the only way. But be careful... your mother's gonna kill me if spomething happens to you."

"She'll kill us both if we don't act now. Ready?"

"Yeah. Are you in position?"

"Yes."

Gloria kept Shark in front of Gator and swallowed. "On three... one, two... THREE!"

Carefully, she stepping on the brake once again, gently slowing down the speed. She was thrown forward in seat as Gator bumped Shark's backside, but Jess didn't fare any better when Gator hit the ATV's front. Then she carefully slowed down a bit, pushing Gator forward, which was followed by a similar maneuver from Gloria. After what seemed to be an endless game game of tag, they had Gator slowed down enough to stop completely. Once that was done, Gloria rested her head against the steering wheel, taking deep breaths.

"Jessie, are you alright?" she asked softly. But Jess didn't answer. "Jess?" Gloria's head jerked up, her voice taking on a tone of urgency. "JESSIE!" She practically ripped off her mask, jumped out of the car ... and leaned back against Shark's badly damaged body in relief when she saw her niece kneeling on Gator's front passenger seat, tending to Dusty. But her relief was quickly washed away when she noticed the smell of gasoline. "Oh sh..." Quickly, she walked over to Gator.

"Jess, one of the tanks is leaking. We need to get Dusty out and away from here."

"Tell me something I already know," Jess snapped back. "Help me, I can't get him out myself."

Together, the two managed to pull Dusty from what was left of Gator, and carried him away to a spot far enough from the wreckages that once were their vehicles. Carefully, they laid him down under a tree, falling into the soft grass next to him.

"Oh jeez," Jess panted. "Dusty's so gonna join Buddy in his diet program."

Gloria grinned, then nodded her chin at her former partner. "How is he?"

She had barely finished her sentence when Dusty started moaning.

"Does that answer your question?" Jess asked. "Daddy? Are you alright?"

Shaking his head, Dusty tried to get into a sitting position, only to find himself being held down by his daughter and sister-in-law.

"Easy there, big guy. You got shaken up quite well," Gloria said, gently pushing him back to the ground.

"What happened?" Dusty asked groggily, rubbing his forehead.

With a grin, Gloria looked over at her niece. "Some nifty piece of driving by your daughter."

Shocked, Dusty looked at Jess who blushed slightly. "Well, I had great help, great driving teachers, and the family's driving talent."

"Are you okay?" Dusty asked, reaching to cup her cheek with his hand.

"Yeah... I'm okay... now. Wish I could say the same about the cars, though."

Dusty pushed himself up again and blinked. "What do you mean?"

Gloria cleared her throat. "We, um, well we had to risk some damage to the vehicles trying to stop you."

"How much is 'some'?"

"Ummm... well, some is kinda... relative," Jess stammered.

"Relative?" Slowly pushing himself into a sitting position and following Gloria's gaze. When he saw what was left of Shark, Gator, and Rhino's ATV, Dusty did the only thing he could. He rolled his eyes and fainted.


	25. Chapter 25

Daddy's Girls Chapter 25

Author's Note: Ahhh, the aftermath begins...now that the battle is over, what punishments await our three girls? Read to find out!

Her eyes flickered open with nothing, but a blinding white light clouding her vision. She felt comfortable in the soft bed, but confused and overcome with fear regarding her whereabouts. _Was it all a dream?_ Roxanne couldn't remember the last time she had opened her eyes. The pain was so strong she couldn't tell the difference between reality and living a fantasy. Even with the pain gone her nerves twitched with an unease feeling in her stomach. She could hear footsteps approaching, but whose? Her heart pounded harder the closer the steps drew. Roxanne rolled off the bed and crouched in a low position. She grabbed a nearby bedpan and was ready to viciously attack her enemy. The moment she saw the man's feet at the foot of her bed she jumped up ready to strike the man across the face, but the man caught her wrist before she could carry through. The metal bedpan fell to the floor and tears welded up in her eyes, "Bu...Buddy."

"Your safe now," he remarked with a sly smile, "so no more trying to hit people with bedpans, even if you don't like the service."

Roxanne instantly wrapped her arms around him, in a huge bear hug, trying to shake away any disbelief that this was a dream. She closed her eyes resting her head upon his chest taking in his warmth and listening to his strong heartbeat. The last time she saw him he was on the verge of death just feeling the life brought back into him put a smile of no regrets upon her face. She wish this moment would last forever that they could always be like this.

Buddy put a gentle hand on her head, "It's alright now we're at Boulderhill, you've been out the last 24 hours."

She looked up in shock and covered her mouth, "Oh my god, I've been out that long...what...what have I done...there are people who are..."

"Don't worry MASK got it covered," Buddy interrupted before she could explain. "If you hadn't of worn your father when you did, I'd say the viral infection would already be out of control. Matt got the Mexican government and the PNA to quarantine the area, for any additional signs of viral outbreaks."

She sighed in relief and smiled knowing that everything had turned out ok, "Where's my father at?"

"On the outside somewhere. Julio has us both stuck in our own little quarantine box, until he gives us a clean bill of heath that is."

Her eyes focus a bit more, as she noticed the tightly concealed room with a viewing window. She also realized her and Buddy were both in their pajamas. Her cheeks instantly became flush with embarrassment, but that soon change the moment Buddy changed his tone.

"What the hell were you thinking?

"Huh?"

"Making a deal with Jon like that. I told you specifically to escape with out me. I'm so mad that the three of you girls even attempted that stunt and ignored an order from all people, me! But most of all what really enrages me is the face you threw your life away like that!"

"I couldn't watch you suffer," she confused in a small voice, "I didn't want you to die."

"I know you had to trade in something awfully big to win Jon over like that. He isn't some sort of small fry who'd do this for a one-night stand." His angry eyes looked directly into her eyes trying to read her, as if she were an open book.

"It was nothing really, I did a job for him. That's all."

She clearly denied anything had happen, which signaled to Buddy she was lying through her teeth. "Bullshit Roxanne. Jon is not the type of guy who lets any of his associations get off on one time deals."

She stood there in a trance as she took in his words. Her voice echoed through her mind '_My life for his' _over and over like a broken record. _It doesn't matter how he feels or what he thinks. If I tell him or anyone else the deal will be off._

Buddy shook her to make her instantly snap back into reality, "Tell me you didn't sleep with him."

Her face turned completely flush at his words and put her on the defensive, "Even if I did, that would be none of your business."

"Oh don't give me this crap, you were under my care. I take full responsibly for what happen to you girls, even if it was your own doing that got you messed up in my work to begin with. I want to know every little detail that happened while you got separated from the group, I could careless if it's that embarrassing to you or not."

"Stop it! Will you nothing happened!"

"I saw how he was coming onto you. And don't you dare tell me he didn't, cause being a guy I think I can tell when a man tries to make a move on a girl, especially without her consent. I know very well what his intentions were, so you better start talking. Cause frankly I'm puzzled and disgusted by the whole thing." Her lips were sealed and her eyes were full of guilt. It was as if steam was erupting from his nose, but he knew she'd talk when she was ready. "You're in so much trouble missie, and when I find out the real reason your ass is mine for a spank'n little girl."

"I'm too old for a spank'n in case you didn't notice."

"Not in my eyes. Your still a child, and when you grow up and face the fact that everybody here wants to help you just maybe I'll start treating your like an adult. I think I'll put you on garage detail with three times the work load just so I can keep an eye on you." Her face burned red with anger, but she couldn't let it out. "You have no idea what if feels like, when a person you truly care about stabs you in the heart by throwing her life away. I'd do anything to protect this person, but she doesn't appreciate the life she was given. It'd kind of hard to protect a person who doesn't care about themselves. Listen I know you thought you were doing the right thing, but you weren't. I'm well aware of the risk I signed up for when I joined MASK; you on the other hand are just a kid. You should not be involved in any of this."

_Not involved? I was involve the day I was born. I was chosen to follow this destiny. _She placed her hand to her head to hide a few dripping tears, "My head hurts I need to lie down."

Buddy backs off after realizing she got his point, "Alright go lie down. Your dad will be happy to hear you're awake."

She slid back into bed and pulled the cover over her. Tears flowed down her face as she reflected upon Buddy's words. _Don't I get a thank you? Why must he be so mad? He's mad I put my life in danger for him, but he'll forget soon.........but Jon won't._ She stared into the empty wall was as if her soul had left her body, then closed her eyes wishing it all was nothing but a bad dream.

Scott glanced wistfully through the viewing window of Buddy and Roxanne's temporary home, wishing that he could step in and talk to his sister, just to make sure she was okay. He always felt as though he had to look after her and all three of the girls really, and it galled him to no end to have been unable to be there for any of them. He sighed deeply, but continued to watch in the hopes that Roxanne might see him from where she lay on her bed. Unfortunately, all he managed to see was a naturally restless Buddy pacing the room like a caged tiger, looking like an inmate planning a prison break. When Buddy stopped long enough to see Scott looking through the window, Scott waved cheerfully and childishly stuck his tongue out in an obvious "nyah nyah" tease. When Buddy's hand moved into position for what Scott recognized as a rather vicious gesture, he grinned wildly and moved on down the hallway, still waving.

Scott stopped at the window of the next room and continued to smile warmly at the scene going on inside. Julio confined Dusty to bed for at least a day after his accident in Gator, and Jess sat dutifully by her father's side, holding his hand as they had a long overdue father/daughter talk. Scott decided not to interrupt and paced down to the window of the last room in the corridor. A look of concern replaced his fading smile as he rested his elbows on the windowsill and peered inside. A haggard looking Brad sat protectively at his daughter's bedside, holding her hand as she slept. Annie had gained some of her color back since her father had brought her back to Boulderhill, but she still looked paler than normal, especially with her red hair splayed across her pillow. Scott's heart ached at the sight of her injured right arm bound up in a sling, and he cursed mentally. _I should have been there for you...damnit!_

His father padded up behind him and laid a gentle hand on his shoulder. "I think Brad could use a break. He hasn't slept in days."

Scott arched an eyebrow cautiously. "Come on, Dad, you don't really think he's going to let me take over, do you?"

"I think you're the only one who can. Dusty and Buddy are both down for the count, and right now, I don't think there's anyone else he'd trust to look after Annie but you." Matt paused a moment before smiling knowingly. "I'm pretty sure she'd appreciate your company too. She loves you, Scott."

Scott gave his father a very long and suspicious sideways glance before he turned back to the window. He didn't dare to hope that his father could be right, so he disguised it with flippancy, "Uh huh, and I suppose she just all of a sudden confessed her undying love for me to you..."

"Actually, she did. Right before she collapsed in my arms."

Scott let out a noise somewhere between a snicker and a snort, still not able to believe what he was hearing as he looked over at his father. "People say crazy things at times like that, Dad. Knowing Annie, she probably thought she was dying and just said that without really meaning it."

"I don't know Annie well," Matt countered pointedly, "but I've never known her to say something she didn't mean. Have you?"

Scott couldn't break his father's piercing gaze because deep down, he knew that he was right. If there was one thing Annie Turner prided herself on, it was telling the unadulterated truth as she saw it, even in the heat of the moment. If she said she loved him, then that meant it was true. Didn't it?

"No, Dad," Scott admitted quietly after a long pause, "I never have either." He paused again. "Maybe I will see if Brad wants a break..."

Matt patted his son's shoulder warmly and smirked as he walked away. "If all else fails, tell him I need to discuss some important business."

Scott laughed gently, then turned more somber as he turned the doorknob and walked into Annie's room. Brad's head jerked up and he looked ready to leap out of his chair at the intrusion.

"It's just me, Brad," Scott soothed him calmly.

"Hey, Scott. I was wondering how long it would take you to show up," Brad remarked casually as he rubbed his tired and shade-less eyes and settled back in his chair.

Scott hated it when Brad gave him that certain appraising look that made him feel like a nervous ten year old again. So he studied his shoes until he could reply without stammering. "I've just been making my rounds." He paused and glanced over at Annie, happy not to have to meet Brad's gaze. "How is she doing?"

"The bullet passed cleanly through her shoulder, so Julio doesn't think there should be any lasting damage. Other than that, she's got a slight fever that should fade in a day or so. She should be fine after that."

"Has she been awake at all?"

Brad shook his head. "Drifting in and out...nothing coherent, though."

Scott nodded and couldn't resist a jab as he took a good look at Brad's tired features. "Maybe you ought to be laying in one of these beds too...you look like hell."

"Watch your language with me, mister," Brad growled warningly, "or you'll be laying right there beside me. In fact, I should tan your hide just on the principle of influencing my daughter to make stupid decisions with results like this."

"Me?!" Scott stammered incredulously as he defended himself, "I don't even see her that often! Just when exactly was I supposed to have enough time to make a lasting bad impression!?"

"That's a good point," Brad agreed as he stood up and stretched. "I'll have to make it a point to have a little chat with a certain group of Rangers after I've gotten some sleep." He looked over at his daughter's sleeping form before glancing back at Scott with a serious expression. "I take it you'll sit in while I'm gone?"

"Absolutely Brad," Scott replied, temporarily forgetting his short and insulting rebuke. "I'll take good care of her."

"I hope so," Brad sighed as he left, "because it's apparent somebody needs to."

Annie's eyes slowly fluttered open. Instinct told her that the soft bed and warm blankets meant that she was finally somewhere safe. She drifted contentedly between sleep and wakefulness until she felt a gentle caress along her cheek and a soft kiss on her lips. Memories flashed through her mind of Lester's unwelcome advance and Mayhem's insidious touch, and she might have panicked if she hadn't heard a familiar voice utter four little words.

"I love you, Annie."

She awoke fully, letting her eyes scroll over the unfamiliar walls before focusing in on Scott's concerned features. The last thing she remembered clearly was Matt's masked face hovering over her. Everything else was a blank. Annie ignored Scott's bedside confession for the moment as she asked hoarsely and dazedly, "Sc—Scott? Where am I?"

"You're back at Boulderhill, sweetheart, safe and sound, along with everyone else. You've been out for almost a day. Your dad was here most of that time, but he wanted to get some sleep and left you in my expert care."

Scott smoothed an unruly bunch of hair away from her face and flashed her a charming yet nervous grin. Annie took another confused look around the room before glancing back up at him with a look of unmistakable longing. Before he knew it, he had carefully lifted her up so that he sat on the bed with her head resting against his chest. A jolt of pain lanced through her bad arm as she shifted position, but the pain was worth the pleasure of eventually finding a comfortable resting spot in Scott's arms. Before she could stop herself, a return confession of love finally spilled out of her mouth in a complete rush.

"I love you too, Scott..." A few tears rolled down her cheeks. "I always have and just never admitted it to you, but I was so scared I wouldn't make it out of there that I told your dad in case you didn't know..."

"I knew...I think I've always known," Scott admitted as he stroked her hair gently, "but I knew you'd be too shy to admit it, and I never could work up the courage to tell you that I felt the same...at least until now."

Silence descended for a moment until Scott found the right words to speak up again, proudly, "I also know that Roxy never would have made it out of there if it weren't for you."

If Annie hadn't been so comfortable and sleepily dazed, she might have pulled away from him then. Instead, she turned her head away and said flatly, "Don't put me on a pedestal, Scott. I didn't do it for Buddy, you, or your father."

Her response and tone of voice startled him. "Why then?"

"Because I couldn't NOT do it. I couldn't go against my own nature or ignore the code of morals that everyone's worked so hard to instill in me. As much as I dislike your sister, I simply couldn't in good conscience leave her in the hands of Contra World. So make sure you tell her I took a bullet for her the next time you see her."

"She did the same thing for you back in Venice, Annie," Scott painfully reminded her.

"Thanks for the reminder, Scott," Annie snapped back angrily. "As if I didn't have enough to think about..."

He sighed deeply and tried his best to half retract his statement and smooth the conversation over, "Maybe this isn't the best time to be discussing this..."

"You're right," Annie agreed, sighing as well, "I'm tired and my arm hurts like hell..."

She yawned widely and let her eyes close, trying to bury the painful reminder of Venice and the recent experience of Mexico in the comfort of his loving embrace, and before too much time passed, she fell asleep again in Scott's arms.

For a while, Jess and Dusty didn't say a word. Since they were about the same size, Gloria had given her niece a set of spare clothes she'd kept in her locker in Boulderhill. Finally, Dusty sighed.

"Why, Jess?" he asked. "Why did you do this? This... this outfit, the club. That was all Roxy's idea, was it?"

"No, it was mine."

"Honey," he reached out to lay his hand on her cheek, "you don't have to protect her."

"I DON'T!" Jess yelled and jumped from her chair. "You're right, I don' have to protect her, because it's not her fault! I was the one who suggested to go to this club, and I was the one who tricked Annie into coming along."

Dusty opened his mouth, but when he looked into Jess' eyes, he realized that she was saying the truth. "But... but... I don't understand, why? Why the hell did you do this?"

"Because I'm sick and tired of being an Annie clone. I want to be me!" With that, she sank down on the chair, tears streaming down her face. "I want you to love me the way you love Annie."

All color was drained from Dusty's face. "Baby, why do you think I love Annie more than I love you! I give you every freedom a teenager can have, everything you want."

"Everything but you," Jess sniffled. "It's always Annie this, Annie that. Sometimes I'm more happy that's she's back on her mountain again than I'm happy she's here. But even when's she gone, it's like she's haunting me. You compare everything I do to what she does. And... and you act like she's more important to you than I am. No matter what, Annie's always first."

"That's not true."

"Yes, it is," Jess voise rose in volume again. "On my fourteenth birthday, you gave me a kiss on the cheek and then you were off talking with Annie all day... just like you did on _her_ birthday. When I got the award for special achievement in school last year, for the second time, you suddenly left the room because your cell rang. I thought it was the call to another mission... but when I left the auditorium, you were outside... and talking to Annie. The year before, you brought her along and didn't even notice me on stage. You asked me when my turn was after it had already been over for ten minutes. The big turning point was last year. Remember the ride we wanted to take? Just you and me? I was so excited. It was the first time in months that you had time just for me. Before, you were either on a mission, doing something with the boys, at the parlor... I barely slept the night, so happy was I. But then we came to Calhoun's ranch, and there was Annie. As usual you invited her to come along. Remember? When you came home, you and Annie were surprised that I had already brushed down Lancelot and let him out on the corral. You were wondering how I made it to be that much earlier home than you were."

Dusty swallowed. "Yes, I remember."

"For two hours, I rode behind you and Annie, then I was fed up. I told you I'd be going back because I wasn't feeling well. All you said was that you two would slow down so I could catch up again. You didn't even listen to what I had said. So I just rode home, and you didn't even notice it. If you don't believe me, ask Cal. He'll confirm my story." She took a breath. "That day, I truly wanted to kill Annie, to get rid off her in some way. But then I realized, if I wanted your attention, I'd probably have to act like Annie. So I became this perfect little angel you always think I am. A carbon copy of the girl who's more a daughter to you than I am. And it worked, for a while. Finally you paid attention. But I couldn't stand being Annie, so I need to compensate. Everybody knows that... everybody but you knows the real Jess. So, to you, I'm just Annie2. Nothing more. And I doubt I'll ever be."

With that, Jess got up and ran out of the room, almost knocking Gloria over in the process. Her aunt just looked at her, and then turned to Dusty.

"I couldn't help but overhear what she just said, Dusty."

"That... that was just the stress talking. She's tired, and scared."

"And worst of all," Gloria interrupted him, "she's right with every word she said."

Stunned, Dusty looked at his former partner, before Gloria turned and left the roon in search of Jess, leaving a distraught and bewildered Dusty.


	26. Chapter 26

Daddy's Girls: Chapter 26

Author's Note: The aftermath of the girls little adventure unfolds as our story comes to a close. But does the Saga truly end? You'll have to watch this section to find out. J

After three days of rest and recuperation on everyone's part, it was time to get down to more serious matters. Brad sought out Annie in her room in Boulderhill and found her trying desperately to brush her massively tangled long hair one handed. Oddly enough, she was concentrating so hard that she didn't notice him enter, at least until he walked over and took the brush from her.

"I think you better let me help."

She jumped in slight surprise, then stared at him as though he'd gone crazy, replying quietly, "It's pretty tangled, Dad..."

"And you're pretty stubborn...now come sit," He ordered as he pulled the chair by the bed away from the wall so that he could stand behind it.

Annie started to say something and then thought better of it as she sat down wordlessly in the proffered chair. They sat in silence for a little while as Brad gently worked at brushing the worst of the tangles out. When he was satisfied he could get the brush through smoothly, he began speaking as he parted and deftly started braiding her hair."

"I remember having to brush your hair out a lot when you were little. You used to have these horrendously thick curls before it grew out, and it was all I could do to keep them on top of your head." He paused, then added evenly, "Sometimes I wish your unruly hair was all I had to worry about."

Annie was glad that Brad couldn't see the hurt and somewhat angry look that flashed across her face as she sat with her back to him. She considered her reply carefully, deciding that she might get away more easily if she didn't make him anymore angry than she could sense he already was. So she swallowed what she wanted to really say and answered mildly, "I'm not sure I want to know what that means."

"I think you know what it means, Annie," Brad said slightly roughly as he finished the last twist of her braid. "Have a hair band ready?"

She offered him her left wrist so he could lift the hair band off of it and tried to appeal to her father's sense of reason, "Maybe if you let me explain...?"

"You may as well save the explanation, Annie, because I'm not the only one who needs to hear it."

"I definitely don't want to know what THAT means," she half-joked with a small smile, desperately hoping to lighten his mood as Brad stepped away from her chair.

"It means that we're going to have a very long and serious talk with Matt, Buddy, and Dusty, so stop stalling and let's go."

She dutifully followed her father through Boulderhill, breathing a somewhat mild sigh of relief. Even if it would be a rather strong four against one, Annie knew she'd be able to reasonably explain what happened, though she wasn't so sure how Roxy and Jess would fare. Then she started to feel rather unsure of herself when they met Roxy and Buddy in the hallway, and then saw Matt, Dusty, and Jess waiting for them outside what looked like Boulderhill's main control room. It dawned on her that 'we' also meant Roxy and Jess, so that her 4 to 1 odds had suddenly turned into a very bad 6 to 1, strongly against. Annie took a very deep breath and vowed then and there that she was not going to let them railroad her as they all filed into the control room.

Matt sat down in his usual position at the 'head' of the circular conference table and the other three MASK agents followed to their usual seated positions.  
  
"Sit down, girls," Matt stated in his calm tone of command. "We've got a lot to discuss." The girls complied with little hesitation by taking seats on the opposite end of the table from their fathers.

"Frankly I don't know where to begin," Matt began," The PNA wants to congratulate you girls on your efforts to swart VENOM out of their latest plans. In fact, Duane has insisted you girls should come to New York for a formal ceremony."

The girls glance to each other surprise, as if they expected this meeting to take a more ugly tone.

Matt continued as he noticed the girls thought they were out of the danger zone, "But I decline the invitation on your behalf. Despite all the courage you've shown and all the good deeds you did. You were reckless, completely thoughtless about the number of people you left behind worried sick about your well-being, and worst of all you lied to your friends and family."

"Dad can I at lease say we didn't know what we were getting ourselves into?" Roxanne calmly remarked. "We were just looking for some fun surely at our age you did the same thing."

"We are not going to be comparing notes Roxanne," Buddy added. "Nothing we could of done can compare the mess you ended up in." Roxanne shrugged as if her attempt to reason was thrown off the table.

"Excuse me, Mr. Bond," Jess intervened. "As far as I know you weren't quite innocent in this matter. Okay, I made Roxy and Annie go with me, but in a away, it was you who got us involved, and second... if you had told anyone you'd been there in the first place, our little trip to Mexico could have been avoided or at least cut shorter. And third, if you hadn't decided on playing a solo and brought some back-up, this mess wouldn't probably have happened. How the hell were we supposed to know that Mayhem jr. was there? Did you know Vanessa was onboard the Orient Express the same time you were before she ran off, Matt?"

"Let me make this clear to you." He pointed directly at the three, "YOU GIRLS had no business what so ever at that club! Not only is that place home of the most lowest low lives you can find out here, but you're not even of age yet!"

"I tried to tell them that," Annie added in defensively. Matt shot Brad a glare not wishing to step on his toes.

Brad eyes looked directly into Annie showing he was deadly serious, "This isn't about who did what it's about acknowledging you made a huge mistake."

Annie met Brad's eyes with an equally serious gaze and very defiant tone. "Since when isn't this about who did what, Dad? Are you changing the rules in the middle of the game...again?"

"Excuse me, Annie?" Brad asked in a dangerously soft tone in order to keep himself from lunging across the table. "I'm almost positive I didn't hear you questioning me."

The last of Annie's frayed nerves snapped, and she replied without hesitation. "And I'm almost positive that you used to defend me once upon a time...oh wait, that was before you met your precious Roxanne..."

Buddy watched Brad's chair slide away from the table and interjected before his friend reached over and murdered his own daughter. "That remark was completely out of line, Annie, not to mention completely beside the point."

"This entire conversation is completely beside the point!" Annie shouted as she leapt to her feet. "As usual, nobody wants to put the blame back on the responsible parties, everyone would just rather lecture the hell out of the people who don't need it. And I am NOT going to sit here and listen to it when I didn't do anything wrong."

Brad jumped up and slapped his palms onto the table, drilling his angry eyes straight into Annie's, "Do me a favor and drop the innocent act, Annie, because you didn't let anything stop you from walking through the doors of that club either. And don't try to snow me and tell me you didn't have a choice, because I won't buy that coming from the person who's always telling me that there are always options."

The room sparked with electricity as the lecture turned into a more personal father/daughter power struggle. Annie leaned in to match her father stare for stare as she snarled at him, "The only thing that stopped me from waiting outside the club that night was the thought of having to face Dusty if something happened to Jess, especially after Roxanne showed up." Annie softened her gaze and turned to meet Dusty's eyes for the first time since they'd been rescued. "Dusty, if you can tell me that you wouldn't have blamed me if something had happened to Jess that night, I'll sit back down and take anything you guys are willing to throw at me."

Dusty's mouth dropped open, completely floored by Annie's request. His eyes drifted to his daughter's silent form, over to Brad's enraged features, and then back to Annie's pleading expression. _Now I know how the pickle feels... _He wasn't sure exactly what to say, especially since he was fighting his own mixed emotions, so he settled for the truth as he currently saw it. "I don't know what to tell ya, darlin'."

"It doesn't matter, Dusty, because we're not finished, and you're not leaving."

Brad said the last part to Annie in the parental tone of absolute authority, which she proceeded to ignore by casually walking out the door and storming down the hallway without another word.

It took about ten seconds for Brad to realize what happened. He sped out of the control room like a man on fire at the same time that the commentary started.

"Oh my god," Jess breathed in shock, "I can't believe she just did that!"

"Maybe we'll get lucky and he'll kill her," Roxanne quipped, only half jokingly.

Buddy shot both girls a dark look. "We don't need any replies from the peanut gallery...you two are still in a lot of trouble."

"Somebody needs ta stop him afore he does somethin' he'll regret," Dusty drawled, standing up to rush to the defense.

"Sit down, Dusty," Matt said as the cowboy headed for the door. "Let Brad handle it."

"It's how he's gonna handle it that worries me."

Brad and Annie's angry voices carried easily into the control room from the hallway. The occupants of the room grew silent as they unconsciously tuned into the conversation they couldn't help but overhear.

"Just where the hell do you think you're going?!?!" Brad thundered, catching up to Annie in three furious strides and spinning her around by her good arm. "We're not through with you yet!"

"Well I'm through with you and your hypocritical friends too!" Annie screamed back at him. "I AM NOT taking the blame for Jess and Roxanne just because their parents won't pony up the discipline to make them be responsible for themselves!"

"Jess and Roxanne are not my problem...YOU are, and let me tell you something, Annie..."

"NO, let ME tell YOU something, _DAD_," Annie sneered, "you better make Jess and Roxanne part of the problem, because they're the ones who got us into that situation in the first place! **I** was TRYING TO be part of the solution! I was pulling damage control, or have you conveniently forgotten that I was the one who called you and told you where we were!?! So don't you DARE lecture me on the choices I made, because you haven't exactly made the best decisions in your life either, Mr. VENOM wanna be!"

Brad's vision turned blood red, and a sickening crack rent the air as his hand lashed across his daughter's cheek with enough force to send her staggering back a few paces. Stunned beyond any form of description, Annie lifted her left hand to her lips and stared in abject terror as it came away bloody. She blinked back a few shocked tears and tried to bolt, but Brad had her pinned mercilessly against the wall before she could take another breath.

"You're a hell of a lot more like your mother than I ever gave you credit for, Annie! That's just the kind of attitude she'd give me when she couldn't admit she was wrong, and I'll be damned before I stand here and let you talk to me like that after everything I've done for you!" Brad squeezed her left arm tighter as her eyes flashed and she started to reply. "I would be VERY, VERY careful about what you say to me right now, because the kid gloves are off! I will take you down right now and turn you over my knee like the child you're acting. And I hope the Rangers taught you to box one handed if you think you've got a snowball's chance in hell of taking me on."

The reply was nearly inaudible. "You're hurting me, Dad."

Brad released his grip on Annie's arm and stepped back enough to give her a small amount of breathing room while still interfering in her personal space. She wouldn't turn her head to meet his eyes so he snapped her back to attention. "Look at me when I'm talking, damn you!" He forced himself to continue through the look of unabashed fear in her eyes. "I don't know what the hell's gotten into you lately, but your attitude stinks! And until I find out what caused it, you are cut off! I certainly hope you like the new paint job I gave your bedroom walls, because that's all you're going to be staring at until I see some improvement. So say goodbye to every piece of civilization you hold dear little missy, including Lake Tahoe and the Sierra Nevadas!"

"You can't make that hold if you go out on another mission," Annie protested under her breath.

Brad didn't give Annie another chance to defy him as he hauled her back toward the conference room. "I can if I talk to Dusty about shipping your ass to Saint Catherine's. We'll see what the nuns have to say about you hiding knives and throwing them at people." He gave her one final warning as they approached the entrance, "You've had your say, now you're going to sit down and shut up or I am going to tan your backside right in front of all of them. I don't want to hear so much as a peep from you or see so much as a cross-eyed look in anyone's direction. Get me?"

Brad propelled her into the room with a forceful shove and shut the door as they both returned to their seats. Annie sat down quietly and stared at the floor, blinking back angry tears. _This is SO unfair!_

Dusty's eyes widened as soon as he got a good look at the bruise that purpled Annie's cheek, but Brad cut him off before he could say anything.

"Don't you dare coddle her, Dusty, she had a lot more coming than that. I think you better parent your own daughter before you worry about mine."

"Trust me, I will, Brad. But I won't stand here hearing this crap about parenting from _you!_ I wasn't the one who sent her away."

"No, you just forgot that you have a daughter of your own."

"I know," Dusty said with tears in his eyes. "I was so busy trying to mend the damage you had inflicted on Annie that I didn't notice how much I hurt Jess with it. But you what makes us different, Brad? Jess and I sat down and TALKED, and we're trying to find a way back to each other. Can you say that about you and Annie?"

"Mend the damage I inflicted on my daughter?!" Brad stood up more aggravated, "Since when was she ever hurt to begin with! You think I enjoyed sending her away with complete strangers and asking them to raise my little girl. It was never because I couldn't do it myself! I spend every agonizing day wondering how she's doing and it tears me up that I had to be apart from her, but I did it for the sake of her future. You on the other hand you decided to forget your own children existed and decided to take it upon yourself to adopt my only flesh and blood. Sometimes I think she'd rather have you for her daddy then me. I want so badly for us to have a normal relationship, but thanks to her mother that hasn't been an easy thing to accomplish.

"There you go again hiding behind that witches name," Dusty stood up just as red in the face. "I've told you all along that if you left MASK and dropped out of the public eye by retiring your music career you'd have the same sort of life I have with my family."

"Yeah sure Dusty.... I'll be sure to raise my little girl just as blindly as you had raised yours."

The daughters of the two outraged fathers both had their jaws dropping. Neither of them had ever seen their father attempt to cut throat the other. Roxanne had to cover her mouth and turn her head as she attempt to cover her snickering. Matt shot Roxanne a disapproving look, but that did little to stop her inner laughter.

"Come on guys!" Buddy spoke up, "This is no time to be fighting. I don't condone what Brad did, but if they were my kids they'd all get a lot more then a slap in the face."

"Who ask you to step in Buddy?" Brad harshly shifted his eyes to him.

"You don't even have any kids and it's bad enough we let them hang around you, after all the stuff we found in your apartment. Your not exactly a good influence on the girls." Dusty hammered back.

Buddy turned speechless, "I....well...."

"Break it up," Matt finally decided to step in and slam both his fist onto the table, "...have you forgotten why we decided to hold this meeting? We agreed the three trouble makers sitting at this table were going to hear the same lecture whether they wanted to or not, but all I'm hearing is bickering between us about who should parent their children better. Before you go turning on me, I admit I haven't been as harsh as I should with my own, but she has another thing coming if she thinks she's getting off scott free."

"Sorry," Both Brad and Dusty uttered as they retook their seats and remained quiet.

Once the room remained quite again, Matt continued with his on going lecture, "It was bad enough you girls were put into a bad situation to begin with, but you all choose to take a greater risk by trying to play agent. Stealing MASK vehicles in the middle of battle when you've had no training what so ever to operate such machinery," Matt remarked glancing a Jess. "Making risky negotiations with terrorist," His eyes shifted to Roxanne. "And lastly attempting hand on hand combat with lethal terrorist especially when you don't have a weapon to defend yourself."

Annie was ready to open her mouth and deny the no weapon comment, but thought better of it after the talk her father had given her.

"You girls are NOT MASK AGENTS! That's our job; we signed up for this accepting all risks that come with such a demanding line of work and lay our lives down so others can sleep at night. But how do you expect us to do our jobs, when were worried sick about if our daughters are going to come home at night in one piece?"

"It's a shame those manuals on how to deal with terrorist don't get into details about how to raise a girl on the side," Buddy remarked half jokingly, which only sparked angry glares.

"Well I don't regret what I did," Jess openly spoke up. "If I hadn't done it, I'd probably be at my own father's funeral right this very moment."

"I second that," Roxanne added, "I know what I did was risky, but I saved somebody else life. Even if he doesn't appreciate the gift I have gave him. I will never take back what I did. Although," She casually remarked before Annie could speak up, "Annie probably still trying to figure out why the heck she did what she did."

Annie couldn't let that remark go even after the warning from Brad. She crossed her arms and stared back at Roxanne coldly. "I don't regret anything I did either, because unlike you, I have morals. I couldn't have left you behind even if I really DID want to."

The MASK leader locked eye contact with Jess, Annie, and Roxanne and realized these girls would never get the point they were trying to communicate. They all had the same determine look in their eyes that he had seen in his own agents, after another victory over VENOM. _ Maybe there isn't away to stop them from following in our footsteps. We all try to shield them from this and attempt to mold them into completely different individuals, but they are who they are. We made them into who they are strong, smart, independent women. If anything were just as much to blame for this as they are._

All eyes were upon Matt who seemed to be lost in thought, before he stood up ready to end this long meeting. "I respect the decisions you made, even if they're could have been greater consequences involve. In away we're all at fault. We've raise to be independent and not selfish in your decisions, because of that people are still alive. As leader of MASK, your all grounded from this base and you will not be making any travel plans besides going to school and catching up on your studies. Maybe one day when you girl prove to us that you're ready.... I just might considering letting you join."

'What?' Expression landed on everybody's face.

Without any further explanation Matt headed out of the room, "This meeting is adjourn. It's time to go home."

"This is not what we discussed about Matt," Brad interjected as he chase after him.

"Yeah who said you could even considering letting our daughter join such a dangerous line of work," Dusty remarked beside him.

"We did," he silently remarked, "We opened them up to everything we attempted to keep from them, but in the end gentlemen, no matter how much we plead and beg, they'll become exactly like their fathers. We taught them everything we knew that included how to deal with terrorist. If anything those girls are our future, whether we like it or not." Before Matt took off towards the transport back to the mansion he made one final comment, "It's clear they've all grown up so fast. We have so little time left before they head off on their own. Let us not forget how much they need us to continue guiding them, and how much they mean to us in our lives."

The hallway remained silent for a few minutes as Matt entered the transport and left MASK headquarters. Both Brad and Dusty adopted similar positions on each side of the hall; they leaned against the wall with arms crossed, staring at the floor as they each let the MASK leader's final words to them sink in.

"He's right ya know." Brad looked up at the sound of Dusty's quiet drawl. "We're just as much ta blame as the girls are. Gave 'em enough rope to end up hangin' ourselves."

"I know," Brad sighed before adopting a crooked half-smirk. "Here I am wondering where Annie's got her attitude from and it's been mine all along. I taught her how to be independent and think on her feet, then sent her into the mountains with people who doubly stress that sort of independent thinking. Sometimes I wonder if that really was such a good idea..."

"Listen Brad," Dusty paused a moment before he apologized, "I didn't really mean all that stuff I said in there 'bout you sendin' Annie away. I know ya did what ya thought was best, and I never intentionally tried ta undermine ya. I still see how much that girl adores ya, but for every lovin' look you sent her way, she got about three or four strange ones, most of 'em from our own teammates. I was just tryin' ta let her know there was someone else out there who could look past the outside, ya know..." He paused again and said rather emotionally, "I just wish I woulda saw what it was doin' to my Jessie a little sooner."

"I think we were both a bit blind when it came to our girls," Brad admitted as his own apology. He gave his old friend a reassuring pat on the shoulder before sighing again. "And I still can't decide whether I'm more angry about what Annie did, or because she HAD to do it. I never wanted her to have to make those kinds of choices, having to take the choice between the lesser of two evils. And I NEVER wanted her even considering possibly joining this team."

"None of us did, Pardner," Dusty drawled as he returned Brad's gesture of support. "But we got a little time afore they're old enough to choose for themselves, so we prob'ly better get back in there before they start takin' over the control room."

They shared a small laugh, putting their argument behind them as the walked back to the control room. They passed Buddy on the way out, dragging a semi-reluctant Roxanne behind him as he listed off the punishments she was in for in great detail.

"...I've got a toothbrush and some greasy floors with your name on them, and I don't remember the last time the men's room had a thorough cleaning either. I better get some extra toothbrushes..."

Both Brad and Dusty tried to keep straight faces, but managed to slip back into an aura of seriousness as they went to collect their girls, especially when they overheard the conversation going on inside.

"I can't believe he offered to make us MASK agents," Annie said quietly to Jess.

"I know! Can you believe the looks on our father's faces!?! Priceless!" Jess laughed free-spiritedly "And I've never known Matt to go back on his word, so if he says it's possible, we could be true MASK agents one day!"

"I wouldn't count on it," Brad interrupted harshly.

"Yeah, you two are still in a lotta trouble," Dusty agreed in the same tone, "so let's go."

Both girls looked at their still angry fathers and exchanged a knowing look as they followed them out of the room. _Maybe someday..._


End file.
